


Gotham's (Fashion) Disasters

by FaithWarrior



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alfred is Magic, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Falling In Love, Fashion and sewing, Fluff, Friendship, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug is Called MDC, Past Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Felix Graham de Vanily, Protective Batfamily (DCU), Slow Burn, Uncle Jagged Stone (Miraculous Ladybug)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 76,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23706241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaithWarrior/pseuds/FaithWarrior
Summary: Marinette and her parents are dragged along to the Rock wedding of the year by none other than the groom himself Jagged Stone. To complicate matters the wedding is in Gotham city America. By the grace of her Ladybug luck Marinette has everything prepared for the trip. But her skills are needed in Gotham, and she might find something while she's there.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Luka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Jonathan Samuel Kent & Damian Wayne, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Jagged Stone, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne, Penny Rolling/Jagged Stone, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 433
Kudos: 2439





	1. CHAPTER 1: Marinette encounters Gothams fashion disasters

Marinette fiddled with her purse as she sat in the industrialized sitting room. She could feel Tikki move to press against her leg from inside the purse in a futile effort to calm her holder. The trip to Gotham had originally been a favor to Jagged. 

Her honorary uncle had finally gotten around to not only proposing to Penny but actually setting a date. When they told Marinette and her parents the news they were overjoyed for the couple. The joy was followed up by shock when they proclaimed that they wanted their surrogate family to be involved in the process. Marinette's parents were asked to make the croquembouche and Marinette had gleefully accepted the task of designing and creating the couples outfits. 

Finding out that the event would be in Jaggeds hometown was a bit of a surprise, but he was family to the Dupain-Cheng’s now. What's a little global travel between family.

So Marinette found herself spending several months consulting with the chaotic couple to plan out and finish their outfits for the wedding ceremony that would be held at the home of one of Jagged’s childhood friends in Gotham. 

She was quite proud of the finished designs that were constructed just before leaving for the states with her parents. The high waisted suit in dark purple complimented Jaggeds personal flair with a more subdued tone. Accents of shimmery embroidery throughout the fabric formed into the song Jagged had written for Penny before he proposed. Luka had helped her with that so Marinette could surprise the rock star when she presented him with the final product. Putting together the string of tiny notes in the fabric was difficult when she had little understanding of music, but Luka had been happy to help her transcribe the notes into embroidery. 

Pennys dress had been a little more complicated to design. Marinette had asked both Penny and Jagged what they were looking for in the designs. Their responses had been... less than helpful. Penny wanted something understated that still displayed their individual personalities. And Jagged just wanted them to be quote ‘rocking’ unquote. Accomplishing that with Jagged’s outfit had been easy, the reflective embroidery on the dark purple fabric made the outfit shift in different lighting. It was easily passable as both an understated and unique design that complemented Jagged’’s style. 

For Pennys dress Marinette had used the typical white used for American wedding dresses and mixed it with a light lilac purple fabric for her design. The dress had a mermaid skirt with a high collared queen anne neckline. The layers of white and purple in the dress were meticulously planned so the skirt faded from white to purple. The lace used to make the collar and partial sleeves was a lovely purple with tiny music notes, pens, guitars and butterflies. It had taken forever for Marinette to make the lace design but it showcased the couples story perfectly. Penny had especially liked the cheeky nod to the akumas which brought the two closer.

Marinette had also added a matching lilac purple tie and handkerchief to Jagged's outfit after the man negotiated to wear a pair of combat boots with his outfit. The accessories Marinette had planned out for Penny were heeled white combat boots for Penny and a layered short veil of purple and white lace to be pinned back with a dark purple guitar hair piece. 

It had been a tight squeeze but with a slight decrease in the number of akuma attacks recently Marinette had been able to complete all of the pieces before her family left for the states. Her family had ended up flying with Jagged and Penny in a private jet supplied by the same friend of Jagged’s who owned the house where the wedding would be held. The house was apparently also where they would all be staying for the duration of the trip.

During the flight Jagged had gotten a call from his Gotham friend. Apparently several of the men's sons were somehow without appropriate suits to wear to the wedding. Marinette got the feeling that there was an interesting story behind this circumstance. Given that the wedding was about two weeks away and the sons in question were abhorrent, picky and high maintenance Jagged seemed to think that the only person capable of such a task was Marinette. 

Marinette had agreed to do a consultation with a resigned sigh. With Jagged Stone one had to learn to roll, or as the man liked to say, rock and roll. That was how Marinette found herself getting dropped off at the giant building that was apparently Wayne Enterprises headquarters while the kind man who picked them all up at the airport drove the rest of the group to Wayne manor with the promise that he would return for her or she could ride home with Jagged's friend ‘Master Bruce’.

Marinette had simply instructed the kind monsieur Alfred to under no means allow Jagged access to any of the assorted garment bags or boxes. “Uncle Jagged has been trying to peak for weeks and I refuse to let my hard work go to waste this close to the wedding. He will see them when I say he can see them.” 

Mr. Alfred had given her a small nod of confirmation with his instructions on how to navigate the building. Jagged whined pathetically in the back seat about the fun police.

Now Marinette was sitting alone in a sitting room in the WE headquarters waiting to be called for her consultation. After several minutes nervously waiting with Tikki pressed against her leg Marinette could hear muffled shouts coming from the office. It was quiet enough that Marinette could barely pick it up even with her enhanced hearing. Probably some type of sound proofing in the office walls. Marinette tried to look as if she was ignorant to the yelling as it seemed to be nonviolent.

When the office door finally opened several minutes later Marinette calmly stood up with a smile. The man in the doorway looked frazzled and tired with an edge of annoyance. This must be Bruce, that was the expression of a harried parent if Marinette knew anything. 

“Miss Dupain-Cheng I am so sorry for keeping you waiting. Especially after such a long flight. Please do come in.” Bruce Wayne politely held the door open with one hand and held out his other for an introduction. “I’m Bruce Wayne. Thank you for coming and doing this I’m sure Jared sprung this on you with no notice.”

“Jared?” Marinette giggled, drawing a pained expression from the older man.

“I know he insists on going by Jagged but I can’t seem to break the habit.” He sighed.

“Honestly that alone is worth the consultation.” Marinette smiled easily as she walked through the door to the office. 

The first thing she took note of was the three other men in the large room. They were various ages but the youngest seemed to be close to Marinette's age. All of them appeared to be sulking. She also took note that the office decor was much warmer than that from the sitting room outside. The soft lighting and wood tones of the room were much more in line with the man she had just been speaking to than the cold modern decor. It gave Marinette the sense that not many people were welcomed into this office for meetings. 

The eldest of three men was leaning against the wall in what Marinette deemed to be a professional sulk. His brown leather jacket didn’t seem to clash with the dark wood in this room like it would have in the cold gray sitting room. 

The other man whom Marinette judged to be older than her was seated on one of the room's soft leather couches with a large mug of coffee beside him and a computer on the table in front of him. The bags under the man’s eyes reminded Marinette of the weeks when she had to pull several all-nighters in a row to capture akumas then finish projects and commissions.

The boy who seemed to be her own age was returning Marinette's critical gaze. He examined her just as thoroughly as she did to him and his family. It was an interesting feeling to have one's own caution and suspicion mirrored back by a stranger. 

“Boy’s, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She’s here with Jagged and his fiance along with her parents for the wedding.” Mr. Wayne called for the room's attention as he introduced her. “She’ll be helping with your wardrobes for the wedding.”

The oldest of the three turned towards her more. “This is your friends phenomenal designer?” He asked incredulously as he approached them. “She can’t be older than 12, look how tiny she is.” He put his hand above her head. “She’s like a tiny little pixie.”

“Jason.” Mr Wayne scolded. The man appeared to be more resigned at his son’s words than anything else. “I apologize for however my children might offend you Miss. Dupain-Cheng. They still lack simple manners much to the distress of Alfred.” 

“That is perfectly fine Mr. Wayne. I do work with Jagged after all. Eccentric has become my specialty.” She soothed before turning to the recently named ‘Jason’. “Jason is it? I am actually 16 and I assure you it is quite within my capabilities to design and produce three suits before the wedding. I might wonder though how you are without a suit for the occasion when I’m sure all three of you must have had cause to wear them far before this event.” She raised her eyebrows at the man.

“Tch, She got you there Todd.” The youngest one taunted.

“Wait a minute.” The other man looked up. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, who is here as the personal designer for Jagged Stones wedding. You’re MDC, I am such a big fan of your designs.” The man’s face transformed with glee that took several years off his exhausted expression. “Tim Drake Wayne, Co-CEO of Wayne Enterprises.” He introduced sticking out his hand. “I am so excited that you are going to be the one to replace our suites.” 

“Replace what?” Marinette asked as she took Tim’s hand for an enthusiastic handshake.

“Ahem.” Mr. Wayne interrupted. “There were several incidents involving the previous garments that I was not made aware of at the time.” Was the diplomatic response.

“Tch” The youngest scoffed as he stood up. He walked over and pushed Tim out of the way. “Move Drake. I’m sure the girl would like her hand back.” He then captured her hand as his brother released it. “Damien Wayne, Miss. Dupain-Cheng. I do apologize for these heathens.” He flourished a bow over her hand before politely releasing it.

“Damn, Demon spawn has game.” Jason muttered quietly under his breath before being elbowed by Tim.

“Ah, thank you Monsieur. Although I truly would like to know the story behind these wayward garments.” Marinette spoke up as she tried to tap down the flush forming from all the attention.

“Damien’s was ruined in a hostage situation” Tim stated duly.

“Todd’s suit had not accounted for flexing his arms.” Damian mocked his older brother with a smirk.

“Timmy spilt coffee on his, more than once. And then he forgot about it. The suit was light gray.” Jason said swinging his arm around Tim’s shoulders.

Bruce looked back down at Marinette. “Again, I apologize.”

“That's fine Mr. Wayne I can handle it.” She turned to the boys again. The three looked like they were anticipating a scolding but couldn't bring themselves to care. “So let me get this right. Tim needs dark colors, probably something brown that won't stain easily. Jason needs more room in the arms and shoulders without the jacket looking baggy. And Damian needs durability, although I’m not sure how much I can do about a hostage scenario. Maybe a secret pocket for something.” The let her eyes roam over the family. “How did I do?”

Damian was the first to gather his wits. “ _ la yusadiq. _ ” He said under his breath. Marinette could not understand the words but by the way he said it she took it as an expression of shock. 

Ignoring that for now she turned to Mr. Wayne. “You're hired.” He stated plainly.

“LOVELY” She exclaimed, clapping her hands cheerfully. “I have an emergency sewing kit in my bag with a tape I can use for initial measurements and then I’ll draw out some preliminary designs so I can get fabric. Do you need anything in the outfits besides the jacket and pants set?” She took out her sketchbook to start making some notes. On separate pages she jotted down her observations for each of the boys.

“I’ll need a dress shirt, same problems as the jackets.” Jason said rubbing his hand through his hair. “I can probably barrow a tie from someone in the family though so that's not urgent.” 

Marinette jotted that down on her notes for Jason's outfit.

“I have plenty of dress shirts. At this point I order them in bulk. Plus Alfred is magic and can normally get the stains out of my white ones.” Tim also seemed embarrassed. Although he watched her notes and sketching with avid attention.

“I have some dress shirts you can take a look at based on what you design.” Damian said from closer than Marinette had thought.

“Oh, ahh, that's good.” She swallowed. “What about favorite colors or interests? You don't necessarily have to say now but I like to personalize my designs with embroidery and other little details.”

“Miss. Dupain-Cheng please don't feel like you have to put in that much effort. I understand that this is late notice.” Mr. Wayne said.

Marinette waved him off. “The patterns for suits are simple and ones I’ve worked with before for Uncle Jagged and other commissions. You are already paying full commission price and housing me and my family during our stay. Not to mention I never give less than my best in a piece.” She looked up and smiled at him. “Jagged considers you a close friend, and your family seems like nice people. Customizing my work for people is my favorite part of what I do. It is no hardship I assure you.” 

The family looked at her in silence. Damian seemed almost impressed, and Tim looked to have tears forming in his eyes.

“Wow Pixie Pop, I don’t think anyone has been able to render this group quiet in quite that way.” Jason whistled before reaching out to pat the top of her head gently.

Marinette could feel herself blush. “I’m going to start on the first sketches now so I can get the fabric today. One of you wouldn’t happen to know a fabric store close by I could run by today?” 

“No but we can find one, and we will go with you.” Tim stated firmly.

“Oh, you don't have to do that.” Marinette tried to reassure him.

“Yes we do.” Damian soothed. “Gotham is a big and dangerous place. It is no trouble for us to join you to assure your safety.”

Marinette felt herself blushing yet again. What was happening to her, at least she could still form complete sentences. “Thank you all.” She then brightened. “This is actually great, I can get your feedback on the fabric and patterns I choose.” 

The horrified looks on the three boys secured a laugh from Mr. Wayne. “Good luck boys.” He saluted cheekily before moving to sit at his desk and work.

Marinette moved over to one of the couches and started to sketch out the outfits she imagined for the boys. Looking up repeatedly for reference of the appropriate styles she should use for the designs as well as the coloring she repeatedly caught the boys' attention shifting towards her as well every so often. Once she finished the basic drawings she stood up and walked over to Tim. 

“Any feedback Monsieur?” She winced internally at the switch to french. 

“Wow. I mean I’ve followed your designs for a while but this is amazing. You captured a lot about me in this drawing.” He looked at the design more carefully. “I would like dark red for the lining if you can, and maybe yellow for the stitching. Those are some of my favorite colors.” 

Marinette nodded and noted those down after taking the book back from him. “Alright, I can work with that. Now stand up. I’m going to take your measurements.”

Tim stood up. “Do you need me to do anything specific?” He seemed uncomfortable. “Usually the tailors can’t do this with, um, clothes on.” 

“Hmf. I am no amateur.” Marinette scoffed. “One, this is preliminary measurements so I know how much fabric to purchase. Two, if I can take measurements, And make adjustments on Uncle Jagged while he tries to show me his new choreography I think I can accurately adjust for a little extra fabric.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I started designing years ago and I’m still a minor. I adapted my methods to be appropriate. Don’t worry, I will take more accurate measurements later before I cut the fabric for the patterns.” She jotted down the last measurement. “There, you are done for now.”

“That was fast.” Jason said. “Usually those guys poke around for forever.”

“I’m glad you appreciate my skill Jason, because it's your turn.” Marinette said with a grin as she flipped to the page with the design for Jason.

Damian scoffed in amusement from his position across the room. Marinette could see why. The terrified expression Jason was currently sporting had to be one of the most amusing things she had seen in awhile. And she had seen Chat Noir actually get himself stuck in a tree the week before. 

“Just take a look at the design and tell me if there is anything in particular that you like or want changed. Promise I’ll make this as painless as possible.” She attempted to sooth the older man as she handed him the notebook.

Jason spent several minutes looking over the page. Marinette watched as his facial expressions changed throughout his examination. “I like the dark brown better than the usual black. The picture has it paired with an undefined undershirt, could you do that in maroon or dark red?” He hesitantly handed the book back to her. 

“Of course. Maroon would be better to set your design differently from Tim’s. I’m hoping to find a dark brown that is close to black without having the same cold feel. Your general style seems fairly warm so I want to stick with that.” She noted the color for the shirt and matching pocket square. “How do you feel about black for the stitching?”

“Yeah sure, that sounds great.” Jason replied.

“Okay good. Now I have to do your measurements. I’ll do more measurements for your arms and shoulders than I did for Tim, but this is still preliminary. Mostly I want to start mentaly figuring out how to adjust for any movements you might want to do in the shirt and jacket.” Marinette did the measurements on Jason's legs as she spoke. She then gestured for him to take off the leather jacket. “I’m good, but if the shoulders are a problem area a padded leather jacket won't be as easy to work around as a basic business suit.” 

Once she was finished noting down all of Jason’s measurements and having him go through several stretches so she could get an idea of where the garment would encounter problems, Marinette turned to the last page of designs. 

“My turn Miss. Dupain-Cheng?” Damian queried.

“Yes, but please call me Marinette. My last name can be quite a mouthful. That goes for all of you.” She smiled at them all as she handed the book to Damian.

The expressions on his face barely shifted as Damian examined the design. “You noted here to ask if I had a dark green shirt or tie?”

“Yes I did.” Marinette smiled at his observation. “Green would compliment your complexion and eye color very well. With the design I have in mind a dark green would offset the base of black and gray quite nicely either as a shirt or tie and then a matching pocket square.” She pointed to the book. “It would be best if they were matching sets but I can work around it either way.”

Damian nodded. “One of my favorite dress shirts is in this shade of green, and I believe I have a matching square for it.”

Marinette's smile brightened. “Perfect, that means you can pair it with a simple black tie or one that matches the suit.” She went through the measurements on Damian quickly. Although the boy caught her eye and smirked several times causing Marinette to blush yet again. At this rate she was bound to remain the color of her Ladybug suit for the remainder of the trip. When she noted down the final measurement she let out an inaudible sigh of relief.

“I’m quite impressed with your process Miss. Marinette.” Mr. Wayne said, looking up from the paperwork on his desk. “How soon would you like to go to the fabric store.” Marinette jumped at the unexpected intrusion before composing herself.

“Oh, thank you Mr. Wayne. It will probably take me another fifteen to thirty minutes to mentally calculate how much I’ll need for each design of each fabric. Also I know I mentioned a hidden pocket for Damian but would you like me to put something similar in each.” Marinette was still absorbed in making notes on her designs as she spoke. 

“Please call me Bruce. I’m sure the other boys would appreciate similar features if you are able. Once they overcome their shock I suppose.” Amusement was evident in his tone.

Sure enough when Marinette glanced up all three of the siblings was staring at her in various degrees of shock. At that she noted to add extra lining for each design as well as some other additional notes.

Ignoring her shocked audience Marinette sat down on the couch next to her bag to finish her calculations. She could feel Tikki in her purse shaking around in amusement and suppressed a small smile. Once her calculations were completed she transferred them all over to a separate sheet of paper in her notebook. Double checking that each one was correct she stood up. “All done. Time to go shopping boys.”

Jason grumbled a little at the word shopping, but all three boys stood up. Tim gestured to his laptop. “I found three shops close by if you want to take a look at them.” 

“Of course.” Marinette said as Tim handed her the laptop. “The first two stores look promising but the third store looks like it's mainly for upholstery.” 

“Let's go then.” Jason moved towards the door as he spoke. 

The four made their way downstairs to the lobby and then out onto the street. It was a short walk to the first shop so Marinette took the time to absorb the surrounding architecture. She noticed that the boys all remained alert as they went down the sidewalk. Their positioning had Marinette carefully in the middle of them without seeming out of place. It was an interesting instinct to display with a near stranger, but it brought a sense of comfort to Marinette that these boys would care so much to secure her safety.

The shop they approached was a good size and had a lovely array of different fabrics. Although Marinette didn’t find what she was wanting for Tim and Damian’s designs there was a lovely dark brown fabric perfect for Jason. It shifted its color from an almost dark chocolate tone into both a slightly lighter shade and back into almost black. It had a slight bit of give that would help with the shoulder issue too. She also picked out fabrics for the lining of Jason and Tim’s jacket’s and a good quality fabric for stiffening the jacket's structure. 

When she showed the brown fabric to Jason for approval the man whistled. “That is amazing, I love it.” He grinned at her triumphant expression and laughed.

“Let me get these cut and we can check out. I hope I can find the rest of the fabric in the next store.” She said as she moved over to the cutting counter.

Tim insisted on putting the material on his card when they checked out. Marinette also remembered to snag some thread before they finally cashed out and hit the street again. Jason was carrying the bag of materials against Marinette's arguments. Damian took it upon himself to explain what some of the various buildings were as they passed by. Leading them on their mission Tim consulted with his phone every so often for directions. It did not slip Marinette's notice that the boys once again formed a subtle shield around her as they worked their way through the crowded sidewalks.

The next store was much smaller but packed with the most brilliant array of fabrics Marinette had ever seen in one place. The elderly lady in the front smiled at them as they entered the store. 

“Welcome, let me know if you need help finding something.” The lady spoke gently.

Marinette was practically vibrating with the need to touch the different fabrics. She could feel Tikki in her purse doing the same as the small kwami absorbed the creative energy in the shop.

As soon as the boys looked away from Marinette she zipped away into the racks of fabric. She could hear their confused conversation from between the racks but found herself too absorbed in the patterns and textures to care. 

“ _ It's amazing, so many beautiful patterns and textures. I don’t ever want to leave here Tikki. Can you feel it?”  _ Marinette slipped into french as she drifted further away from the boys. 

When the coast was clear Tikki quickly zipped from her purse into Marinette's hair. “ _ It has so much positive energy. Especially compared to the rest of the city.”  _ Tikki whispered quietly from her new hiding place. 

Marinette was quickly able to find a few fabrics that she liked for Tim’s suit. She narrowed it down to two patterns. A mocha colored plaid that incorporated browns, red, and a stitch of yellow. And another fabric with a less geometric pattern that held layered wisps of different browns almost like steam clouds. She really liked the colors in the plaid, but if Tim was really worried about spilling coffee on his suit the other fabric would make any stains almost undetectable even without cleaning.

As Marinette moved into the next section of fabrics she felt Tikki shift in her hair. 

“How did you manage to disappear in such a small shop?” The semi familiar voice of Damian whispered in her ear.

“Ahhh!” Marinette yelped as she jumped into the air and flailed her arms. In the process she fumbled the two bolts of fabric which Damian neatly caught. 

Seeing the self satisfied expression on the other teens face Marinette drew the conclusion that he had been aiming to give her a slight scare. Her yelling also had the side affect of alerting the other two men to their position as was obvious when they came around the corner to see Marinette attempting to wack Damian in the head with a bolt of fabric as he blocked her with the ones he was holding.

Once Marinette was satisfied with her assault on Damian she walked over to a different section of fabric again. Though this time she had her three escorts trailing behind her. She started pulling black fabrics out and putting them back. None of them were quite right. Turning around to squint at Damian she imagined again what she wanted. She then turned back to the rack and scanned over it with her eyes and fingers. 

Her attention caught on a charcoal black fabric that felt rather soft and flexible, though Marinette could tell it was quite durable. It had a tight weave that would look amazing with embroidery and had properties almost matte in how it absorbed the light. It would be perfect. Marinette could already imagine it with a gray trim and elegant stitchwork. 

“This one.” She announced confidently. In a swift move she switched the new bolt of fabric for the two in Damians arms. “Unless you have any objections this is the fabric I want to use for your suit.” She then whirled to Tim and held out the two bolts for inspection. “As for you Mr. Sleepyhead.” She began. 

Jason stuttered out a laugh.

“The fabric here. The one that looks like…” She stalled on the word before switching to french with a grimace “ _ Fumée aquarelle.”  _ She said.

“Watercolor smoke?” Damian asked, translating for her. 

“Merci. Yes, thank you Damian.” Marinette replied with a soft smile. “This fabric would hide stains no matter how many times you spill. However, the second fabric I found fits the style you described to me much better. The final decision is up to you but my personal preference is the plaid and you should still be able to get stains out so long as you don't leave them to sit for too long.” Her personal opinion would be that Tim’s personal style would be obscured by the smoky fabrics dense pattern. It would be a fabric more suited to a dress shirt or flowy clothes for women.

“Honestly Marinette you are one of my favorite designers. I’m pretty sure I’ll be too in awe of the fact that I’m wearing an MDC original to even think about getting coffee on this suit.” Tim handed the plaid back to her. “I like this one too. The lines are tight enough to not seem overly busy. If I wore the other one I’d probably look like a giant coffee stain.”

“So the same as you usually look.” Jason mocked.

“Tch.” Came quietly from Damian. 

“I’m glad that's your choice. Although I’m a little insulted that you think I would let you walk around like that in something I made. I could make it work, it would just take more effort to break up the pattern with solid colors. Probably would have paired it with solid pants.” 

“So I guess you have it all pretty well figured out now?” Jason asked.

“I think so, but I still want to finish looking around the store. It’s amazing.” Marinette was honestly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of fabrics that were packed into the small store. 

She proceeded to make her way around the store, the boys following her footsteps diligently. She did make a quick stop over by the containers of decorative buttons to finish up her supply list other than the thread. It wasn’t hard to pick out the buttons or the thread for the boys outfits. She also snagged the appropriately colored zippers and fasteners for Tim to take up to the counter until she was ready to check out. 

She found an adorable black fabric with tiny ladybugs on it that she excitedly handed off to an amused Damian. She also found a soft fabric covered with cat toys and cute words that she pulled out. She had been meaning to make something small for Chat Noir and the fabric was adorably obnoxious. She was thinking simple pajamas, that way her kitty wouldn't risk his father's wrath for some simple silly enjoyment. Just when she thought she was done she spotted a gorgeous red fabric in the traditional Chinese embroidery style on the fabric in gold with hints of black. It was amazing and she could already see herself making a quiopo out of it for herself. There was a matching white fabric with red and gold embroidery that she also snagged. It would be perfect to make something for Kagami. Matching dresses for herself and the girl she had come to treasure as a sister, traditional Chinese and Japanese fashions blended with modern french ones.

She pulled out her sketchbook quickly to make a brief outline of the two designs before practically throwing the two bolts at Damian in her destruction. She could hear faint laughter through her haze of inspiration as she efficiently colored in the designs. 

When she finally looked up Damian was attempting to juggle the fabric as his brothers laughed at him.

“Oh my. I am so sorry Damian.” She gasped as she scrambled to help him sort the fabric in his arms. “I just got so distracted, I’m so sorry I really should pay better attention.”

“It’s no problem Angel, I mean Marinette, you just caught me by surprise is all.” Damian responded with a flush and glaring at his brothers.

“Even so I am sorry. On another note I think I’m done now and I know about how much fabric I need of these other fabrics for the projects I have in mind.” Marinette mentally double checked her math as she went up to the counter. She gave the older lady the colorful fabrics first since she had the measurements for the boys suits written down. 

“I see you found what you were looking for.” The lady smiled. “And more importantly, you found inspiration.” She laughed good naturally as she cut the fabric. “Creativity is a rare gift, I enjoy supplying people with the tools to nurture it.” 

“Tools?” Marinette said thoughtfully. “Oh No! I completely forgot that I don't have my sewing machine.” She started to panic momentarily before a hand was gently laid on her arm. It grounded her, which was unusual for a stranger's touch. 

“I think your gentleman friends might have something to say that will ease your mind.” The old lady said gently. Sure enough although Jason seemed overwhelmed by her distress Damian and Tim seemed calm.

“Tch Angel, father wouldn't hire you without ensuring you had the appropriate tools to complete your work.” Damian said in a deadpan. 

“He’s right. Bruce had Alfred acquire a sewing machine for you almost immediately after you took the commission. He ordered one after asking your parents what styles you preferred. The device should be delivered by tomorrow.” The logistics Tim gave were straight forward and calmed Marinette's strategic brain.

The old lady laughed under her breath. “Now that that's handled dear tell me what you were inspired to make.  _ How did my store reach out to your creation soul? _ ” 

Marinette stared at the woman in shock. It couldn’t be a coincidence that the woman used those words. Her voice had sounded like Master Fu’s old lessons and that just confirmed her suspicion. Tikki was still in her hair and whispered that the woman felt warm and somewhat familiar.

“ _ Ah, It's the atmosphere in here, it's warm and it feels safe. You have so many fabrics in here. I have to say I’m a little overwhelmed. _ ” Marinette looked at the woman more closely as she continued speaking. “ _ This one, _ ” She began, pointing at the ladybug fabric. “ _ Reminded me of a close friend. I’m thinking of a summer dress with a halter, red waistband, red tulle underskirt. I also intend to make a matching purse. _ ” 

“ _ Very bright. I imagine your friend will appreciate being the inspiration. _ ” The lady commented. “ _ These remind me of a place I used to live. _ ” She said, pointing to the red and white silks. 

“ _ Oh? Were you there long? _ ” Marinette asked.

“ _ Quite long, I finally left a while back. Felt like I was able to go back to living in the real world. _ ” The glint in her eyes told Marinette more than her words.

“ _ I intend to use them for matching dresses for myself and my friend. _ ” Marinette replied with a smile. “ _ She is like my sister. Do you have any friends like that? _ ” 

She smiled. “ _ Not many. A bond like that is hard to make and harder to keep. _ ” She finished cutting those two fabrics. “ _ What about this one. For a friend as well? _ ” She pointed to the cat fabric as she started to measure it out.

Marinette nodded. “ _ A different friend. He is my partner, more like my brother. _ ” She smiled at the lady reassuringly. “ _ Having someone like that is not an experience many get to appreciate. I wanted to make him something small and silly to demonstrate my care. _ ” 

The woman seemed to sigh in relief. “ _ I am glad someone like that is on your side. _ ” 

Marinette was just now realizing that the boys were looking at them in confusion. Well Jason and Tim were. Damian seemed to me mildly less confused, more surprised.

Tim worked up the ability to speak. “That was Chinese right?”

“Cantonese, Drake.” Damian replied, still staring at Marinette intently.

“Oh yes. I’m sorry boys. I hadn’t realized I switched.” Marinette blushed. “My mother taught me when I was little along with french. My Mandrin is still fairly basic though.”

Marinette looked back at the woman who was still smiling knowingly. She gave her the measurements for the boys fabrics. “These ones are for suits for my companions.” She made sure she was speaking in english this time. 

The lady’s smile grew. “Ah, new friendships are such fun. Discovering how two people mesh. How the aspects of their separate lives compare to the others.” Her cuts in the fabric did not falter. “Some think life is random and chaotic. I believe that fate brings things about in odd ways. Forever maintaining balance in life. It truly is miraculous how things happen isn’t it my dears?” 

Marinette could feel Tikki giggling against her neck. She hoped the kwami would share what was so funny later. “At this point I would hope that a little luck is coming my way.” She responded cheekily.

The lady laughed. “Well said little one.” She handed Damian the first bag of fabric, and then Tim the second. “You boys take these up to the check out. I just need to tally up the measurements on the computer. I might need your lady friend to remember the measurements. Don’t you worry, we’ll be along in a moment.”

The boys were helplessly waved to the front of the store and Marinette and the lady were left alone. 

“ **_What may I call you Master?_ ** ” Marinette asked in the language of the Guardians. It was her final check to ensure this woman was as she seemed. Only one taught by another guardian would be able to speak and understand the ancient language.

“ **_Be at ease child. You may call me Katrina. Although, you are just as much a master as I am, Great Guardian._ ** ” The lady, Katrina, soothed her. “ **_You have done much alone. Your Master was not prepared to form a new order or face the challenges of the world, but you have done well. We who remain do not understand the world enough to assist you in full, but I wish to lend you what support I am able._ ** ” 

“ **_Here is my card child._ ** ” She handed over a black card with the gold and red guardian symbol with a single phone number. “ **_You might start to find yourself meeting people deeper into this world little one. You have a strong destiny ahead of you, but you will not be alone._ ** ”

“ **_Thank you Katrina. I am Marinette, Ladybug and Great Guardian of the Miracle box. I gladly accept your offer of assistance and wisdom.”_ ** Marinette bowed to Katrina before the two began walking to the front.

“It was lovely to meet you Marinette.” Katrina spoke in english again as they approached the front. 

“You as well Katrina. And thank you for your kind words.” Marinette felt relief after talking to someone who could assist her with the knowledge of the miraculous. 

“Of course dear. And remember,” She smirked mysteriously at all of them. “Don’t fear the shifting tides. Sometimes different things become revealed when the tide moves out. Such is nature to uncover things in their own time.”

The boys seemed discomforted by this, but Marinette was distracted by Tikki shaking with silent laughter in her hair. 

Marinette exchanged bows again with Katrina before moving to exit the store. To her surprise Damian also bowed to Katrina before quickly turning around. Katrina only looked amused at the boy's actions, like she understood something the rest did not.

Exiting the store Marinette remained rejuvenated. She could feel the sharp corners of the card in her jacket pocket like a talisman. Upon realising Tikki was still hidden in her hair Marinette zipped up her windbreaker so Tikki could sneak down into the hidden pocket on the inside. 

The group once again walked in the same formation, although the walk was silent and the three boys seemed distracted. Marinette decided to bring it upon herself to lighten the mood and began peppering them with questions about their favorite foods and baked goods. By the time they got back to WE tower the boys were chattering back and forth at each other again. 

Bruce met them in the lobby and directed them around the back of the building to where Alfred was waiting with the car. They talked about the plans for the boys suits during the car ride and the boys mocked each other for the respective problems they had with their formal wear.


	2. Damian does not understand this ‘friendship’ thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does Damian Wayne think of Marinette Dupain Cheng? The group of Gothamites and Parisians spend the rest of the evening within the walls of the manor getting to know each other a bit better.

Damian was... concerned. Ms. Dupain-Cheng was not what she had first seemed to be. Although how she seemed had repeatedly changed since she initially entered father's office. However, personality inconsistencies aside this entire day was unusual. 

First, he did not immediately dislike her. Not normal, he even disliked Jon when they first met. Next, she was verbally aggressive and intelligent enough to keep up with his family’s banter. She was also observant, far more observant than any normal civilian had any cause to be. But the big give away was the cryptic conversation she had with the shop owner. 

It had been obvious they hadn’t met previously, but they spoke in riddles. And since the riddles were also in Cantonise, apparently one of Marinette's first languages, Damian was not entirely sure what kind of code they had been using. 

And the woman's parting line. The shopkeeper was some kind of mystic, Damian was certain. His brothers most likely had a similar idea if their reactions were anything to go by. He couldn’t consult with them though because they were currently stuck in a car with Miss. Dupain-Cheng.

And another thing. She was incredibly distracting. Damian kept finding his attention drawn to her, how to make her smile, or ensure she is comfortable. He would guess that it was intentional if it wasn't for how shocked and flustered she got from his, or his family’s, attention. 

When they arrived at the house Damian found himself offering his hand to assist the Angel Marinette with exiting the vehicle. Her blush pulled a smirk from Damian, glad he was not the only one affected.

Immediately upon them walking through the front door Damian found Marinette being dragged from his grasp by an overenthusiastic man dressed in purple. The girl giggled and went with it. Her actions having all the characteristics of someone used to this behavior. 

“Uncle Jagged let me go. I have to get my material to my room so that it doesn’t get too wrinkled.” Marinette said through her laughter.

“If I may Miss. Dupain-Cheng. I will have the fabric up to your room and laid out appropriately. I will also make sure you have access to an iron.” Alfred said as he appeared inside the room.

“Oh, Thank you Mr. Alfred. Though do call me Marinette please.” The girl was smiling brightly as she dissantangled herself from the rock star.

Damian watched as she then crouched down to pet. No. Damian blinked repeatedly. Okay he wasn’t hallucinating with some new version of fear toxin. That was actually an alligator.

“Fang! Have you been a good boy? I know the plane ride was hard, but are you enjoying exploring?” Marinette said as she scratched the alligator on the tummy and it rolled over.

Damian then saw Alfred the Cat come around and lay right on the alligator's belly. The tiny girl was unfazed by this and simply moved one hand to pet the cat. And he Let Her. 

“Is this real?” Todd's voice appeared in his ear.

“Officially, nothing in my life makes sense right now.” Damian deadpanned. Jason laughed as if Damian was joking.

“Your cat isn’t biting her. And she's petting an alligator. Oddly enough this is the weirdest thing I’ve seen all week.” Drake pitched in after ramming into the two boys still blocking the doorway. Considering their night jobs it actually was a little surprising that they were surprised in their own home.

Coming up behind them father casually strong armed all three of them inside so the door could close. The three brothers simply remained staring in shock at the tiny girl who was contorting their entire worldviews.

“Jared, sorry, Jagged.” father drawled as he walked in with a smile and open arms. 

Damian still couldn't get over seeing his father with an honest to god smile on his face. And the ones he had seen today haven't been entirely fake which was even weirder. 

“Long time no see old friend. I’m so glad you decided to stay with us for your happy day. And this must be Fang, so much bigger than the last time I saw the two of you.” Bruce got pulled into an enthusiastic hug by the rockstar. 

“Brucie my man.” Jagged started with an unreal grin. “It’s good to see you. It was fun chatting with little Dick again but I’m glad to see you pal. Those must be your other boys.” 

“Yes they are. Jason, Tim and Damian, they are a little shocked by the fact that Alfred the Cat is letting her pet him. He is not known for being the friendliest cat.” Their father joked at his friend.

“Yeah little Mari can get that reaction from people. She's quite the little rocker aint she?” Pride filled Jagged’s voice. “What did you think of her consultation? Am I right or am I right? That girl’s gonna be big one day.” 

“She certainly will be. Wowed all of us in thirty minutes flat and had complete designs in under two hours.” Father was still smiling. “The boys went with her to get all of the supplies and I think they had adopted her.” 

Jagged glanced over at them all with a knowing smile. “She does that too. Quite the little ball of sunshine that little rocker is.” He laughed. “Marinette, stop spoiling Fang, he's gonna get a big head.”

Marinette laughed. “Okay Uncle Jagged.” She said with one last tummy rub on the alligator. She then turned to the boys. 

Damian was hit with her overwhelming giggles at the expressions on his and his brothers faces. She had burst out with complete and utter joy. It was intoxicating and Damian used all of his remaining willpower to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

“What boys, never seen a pet alligator before?” She asked with a smirk.

“Well no.” Tim deadpanned. “Hyenas and feral cats yes. An alligator who’s not trying to eat someone, no.” 

Damian elbowed him for that. It was a little too unusual to tell a civilian. His family really was bad at the whole secret identity thing.

For her part Marinette simply took it all in stride. “Try an army of angry pigeons. Now that's an average Tuesday in Paris.” 

The way Jagged started cackling at her deadpan delivery confused Damian. He honestly wasn't certain if it was a joke.

“Where are Penny and my parents Uncle Jagged? Also could someone help me find my room. I’d like to wash up and change before dinner.” Marinette was calm and composed now. She appeared comfortable and self assured. Damian found himself appreciating this side of her as he had when she had displayed it briefly during the consultation.

“Of course Mari. Penny and your parents laid down for a bit of a nap. I told them it wouldn’t help with the jet lag but they insisted.” Jagged then grabbed the tiny girl's arm and started enthusiastically dragging her towards the guest rooms. “You gotta see your room rockstar. Brucie had Al put you a little down the hall from us and your parents. Don’t worry he followed your directions you little fun killer. I don’t know why you won’t let me take a tiny peek at the designs.”

The duos voices grew fainter as they walked down the hallway. Marinette turned around once as they walked away and blushed when she caught Damians eye. She had quickly turned around with a sharp whistle for the alligator before all three disappeared.

“Pixie Pop is legitimately the human embodiment of sunshine.” Todd expounded as soon as they were presumably out of earshot.

“Also Demon Spawn has a crush on her.” Drake contributed. “To be fair, I believe it is reciprocated.”

Father sighed. “Any reason why all three of you looked so concerned on the ride back?” He rubbed his brow. “I would like it if we attempted to keep things quiet around here while we have guests.”

The boys exchanged a glance. Both Todd and Drake’s gaze landed on Damian. He exhaled. “Miss. Dupain-Cheng apparently speaks fluent Cantonise as one of her first languages. She had an interesting exchange with a shopkeeper that seemed to have a deeper meaning than what I could parse out.” Damian directed his gaze solidly to his father. “The shopkeeper also had some cryptic parting words that seemed to be directed to all of us.” 

“And your impression?” Father asked carefully.

“Marinette had never met her before but seemed comfortable with the woman by the time we exited the store. It is also my analysis that the woman possesses some kind of mystic capabilities.” Damian frowned in contemplation. “None of the confrontation seemed to be malicious or threatening.”

Father looked to the others. “Do you both agree?”

“We could not understand the first conversation but the exchange did seem layered. Marinette was alone with the woman for only a few moments but seemed much lighter when they rejoined us.” Drake then got a distant look. “Her last words though did strike me as a little concerning. Not dangerous or malicious but slightly worrying. She spoke about shifting tides, moving sands to reveal things that are hidden.” 

“That could mean anything, but considering who we are you could see why we are a little concerned.” Todd grumbled.

“Hmm, for now just stay alert. And make sure to be careful what you leave lying around in the manor.” Father then grinned. “Also Damian I’m happy that you and Miss. Marinette seem to be getting along.”

Damian grumbled and then excused himself from the room. He wandered around the gardens and grounds for quite a while before making his way back inside. At one point Titus found him out in the hedge maze. The dog wandered with him until he went back into the manor and then followed him in. He caught a little bit of conversation coming from one of the sun rooms as he walked by and peaked in. 

Sitting on one of the sofa’s with her computer, Marinette was smiling brightly as she talked to someone in french. She glanced up when the door opened wider as Titus pushed past him into the room. Damian frowned, for a dog trained in stealth he wasn't displaying that very well.

“Hello Damian. I was just talking to some of my friends. Would you like me to introduce you to them.” Marinette asked in english. “Don’t worry, most of them are fluent in english.”

Damian heard a disgruntled male voice on the computer speakers in french. “ _I understood that MaMaMarinette. I’m almost fluent, no need to be mean about it._ ” Other voices pitched in with laughter and jibes. 

One female voice teased. “ _Coffaine, the only language your truly fluent in is music._ ”

Another added in a whine. “ _But ChloBee, music is the universal language. So if you think about it Luka can understand everyone._ ” 

“ _Guys stop being rude._ ” Marinette scolded. It reminded him of Nightwing on the coms sometimes. “Damian I’m sorry about them. They are truly uncultured.” Her apologetic smile drew Damians own amusement closer to the surface.

“ _Of course Mari-hime. It's not like three of us had behavior lessons when we were kids or something._ ” A slightly accented female voice imputed sarcastically.

“It is fine Angel. I am fluent in french remember. And your friends are no worse than what my brothers put you through earlier.” Damien moved himself around so he was in view of the camera. “ _Hello, I am Damian Wayne._ ” He introduced himself to the four faces on the video call in perfect french. 

“ _Of course you are._ ” The blond girl in yellow said. “ _I hope you are treating Maribear right._ ” She started aggressively. Protective then, Damian assumed. 

“ _Be nice Chloe._ ” The other blond, a boy, said without heat. “ _Sorry, the angry one is Chloe. She's upset because the rest of us won't be coming out for the wedding until a few days before. I’m Adrien, it’s nice to meet you Damian._ ” This boy’s smile was as bright as Jon’s and Marinettes combined. It was majorly terrifying.

“ _I am being nice Adrikins._ ” The one called Chloe mocked. “ _And I’m just glad that Jagged was so kind to invite us. And that he made it a stipulation that our parents can't get in without us there._ ” 

“ _I have to say. The look on Gabriel Agreste's face must have been terribly amusing._ ” The other girl spoke. She looked frighteningly similar to Marinette except for the hairstyle and brown eyes. “ _I am Tsurgi Kagami. It is nice to make your acquaintance Damian Wayne._ ”

“ _Tsurgi Kagami the champion fencer?_ ” Damian questioned with raised brows.

“ _That's our Gami. Adrien’s also a fencer._ ” Marinette said proudly.

He felt his brows raise. Kagami was a fencer who’s skills he enjoyed watching. “ _I would be interested in sparring with you Miss. Tusurgi. You as well Mr. Agreste was it? Though I am less familiar with your fencing career._ ” 

“ _That's because Adrikins father won’t let him do many competitions, especially at his level. Too risky for his modeling career._ ” Chloe waves her hand in exasperation.

“ _And you are?_ ” Damian says turning his attention to the calm boy in the last corner of the screen. “ _I believe you were the one mentioned as being a musician based on your guitar, but I did not quite catch your name._ ”

“ _Luka Coffaine, I’m coming along for the wedding with my mom and sister. It's a bit of a story, but basically I’m the only other musician who knows the song for the wedding besides Jagged himself._ ” He strums a few cords on his guitar before speaking again. Voice remaining slow and calm like before. “ _Sorry, I’m not big on words. I mostly communicate through my music._ ”

Damian nods sharply. “ _I understand, one of my adopted sisters is more inclined to use body language than words. Believe me, the validity of unspoken communication is well understood in my family._ ” 

The rest of the people on the call seem to come to an understanding on something. All of them looked satisfied with the conversation. It felt like Damian had passed a hidden test. 

The group continued to talk for a while before Damian noticed it was getting close to dinner. With a few words he and Marinette said goodbye to her friends and exited the now darkening sitting room. They made a brief stop by Marinette's temporary room to drop off her computer. Though Damian noticed that she still had her small purse with her even though they were only heading to dinner.

Marinette didn't react to the purse as an extra burden. She moved with it like it was a constant presence, like she forgot it was there. Though she constantly set a gentle hand on it as if to comfort herself that it was still in her possession. It was an unusual tick to have, but not in itself concerning. 

Damian was aware that many girls and women carried purses both out of convenience and necessity. He had noticed the girls at school could become quite distraught if they forgot their purses, especially if they were recent additions to their ensembles. That had been an interesting conversation with Dick. His older brother had some insight into Damians observations while seeming slightly distirbed and counseling Damian not to comment on the new accessories. Looking back it was a rather entertaining conversation.

It didn't seem to be any great secret as of now so Damian did not comment on it's presence as they walked towards the dining room. 

When they arrived everyone else was waiting including who Damian assumed to be Marinette's parents based on them sweeping her into a big group hug as soon as she appeared. There was also a woman with short purple hair tucked under Jagged Stones arm as his other arm flailed about for emphasis as they conversed with father and Ms. Kyle. 

Selina was someone Damian was still becoming familiar with. At times she discomforted him. Those times were becoming more sparse and Damian had come to appreciate her relationship with his father. 

Selina seemed to be having a calm conversation with Jagged’s fiance about something while they both observed the men's conversation with veiled amusement. From the way people were positioned around the room it appeared that Mr Dupain had been talking to Alfred and Jason, most likely about baking. It also seemed like Dick and Tim had possibly been conversing with Mrs Cheng. None of the girls were present tonight. Some were out of town and others were handling the early patrol shift without them.

After several long moments Marinette extracted herself from her parents embrace. Done with his examination of the room Damian turned his attention to them.

“Maman, Papa, this is Damian. Sorry if we are late, I lost track of time talking to everyone at home.” Marinette reached for his arm to present him to her parents. “Adrien wanted me to tell you that he already misses your pastries Papa.”

“That boy is too thin.” Marinette's mother lamented before muttering something darkly under her breath in cantonise. Damien didn't catch much but ‘father’ and ‘useless bastard’ from her words, but got the feeling that the Dupain-Cheng’s shared the contempt held by Marinette and her friends for the blond boy's father.

“It’s good to meet you Damian. Alfred tells me you have animals. Marinette has always wanted a pet, we can’t get one due to health concerns but that hasn't stopped her from loving animals.” Mr Dupain says joyously as Marinette grones from behind Damian. 

“That’s true Tom. Remember all the little creatures she would always bring in from the streets.” Mrs Cheng piped in. 

“Mama, Papa noo.” Marinette groaned. 

Damian could hear some of his brothers starting to laugh quietly as the family continued.

“There was that little squirrel with all those scraps.” Mr Dupain said, gesturing the size with his big hands. “Didn’t even know she had it before she was ready to let it go again. Our clever Marinette hid it for a good three days while she patched the poor thing up.”

“Then at breakfast she asks us, seemingly out of the blue, ‘Mama, Papa, where do squirrels live?’ We were shocked when the thing poked its head out of her shirt for a bite of her fruit.” The giggling Mrs Cheng joined in. “She just calmly said, ‘Greggory is ready to go back home now Mama, but I don’t actually know where he lives.’ Apparently Marinette had found him on the edge of the park injured and snuck the poor thing home to patch up. She was seven.” 

“The critter had pink cotton for bandages and Marinette had even applied antibacterial cream.” Mr Dupain was recovering from his own laughter. “Quite resourceful I might add. Sabine, do you remember the lost dog? That family knocked on the door before we knew he was there, let alone that she called someone.”

“Don’t forget the family of cats she brought home during that one blizzard. Those little kittens in her sock drawer.” Was the reply from the man's wife. 

Marinette’s face was bright red, what little of it Damian could see through the girls hands.

“My favorite one had to be that little bird.” Mr Dupain smiled proudly. “I have no idea where she learned how to splint a broken wing. Somehow she had that little robin eating out of her hands for the week and a half she kept it in the house. It was a precocious little thing even with a splinted wing, but it adored Marinette.” 

Damian could now feel his own face blushing as his brother's laughter grew behind him. Laugh it up heathens, he thought, it's not like the mantle is inherited or something. Damian resisted the urge to turn around and glare at his family as Marinette's parents continued to recite tales of Marinette's childhood.

Marinette was muttering a little under her breath now, but she seemed resigned to her parents actions. 

“Did she name the robin?” Was questioned by none other than Selina. Although Damian would have expected the same question out of any one of his brothers.

Mr Dupain and Mrs Cheng were now calming down from their laughter with a bit of wheezing. The couple exchanged a look in reflection. “I think she called it _mon petit oiseau_ , her little birdie.”

Marinette was now smiling at the memory. She pulled on Damian’s sleeve until he turned to her. “Don’t tell Maman and Papa, but there is still a robin's nest up on my balcony. They come back every year. Even Chaton hasn’t been able to scare them away.”

Damian filed away the endearment even as he restrained himself from blushing more at the girls closeness.

Jason, who must have heard at least a little of what Marinette had told him spoke up. “So the sunshine is quite literally a Disney princess.” 

His words sent Marinette into a fit of giggles. “If I’m a Disney princess, so is Adrien. We’ve already determined that.”

Mrs Cheng scoffed. “That poor child might as well be locked in a tower rather than a mansion.” 

Her husband rubbed her shoulder in support. This seemed to be a recurring issue. “We’ll emotionally adopt him ma petite, and Chloe while we’re at it.”

“Don’t forget Kagami, gotta even out the bluenette’s again.” Marinette pitched in jokingly.

Their interaction had the hallmarks of a frequent discussion, teasing but not altogether joking. This theory was further supported by Jagged joining in. 

“Aye, but you can’t have Luka.” The tall man came over with his arm around his fiance’s shoulder before swinging the other around Marinette. This had the, unfortunate, side effect of pulling her away from Damian. “My little Rocker and his sister got all the parental confusion with us and Nanarchy in his corner. No need to add my boy into your brood.” 

The family started laughing at this. Although, Jagged’s fiance pinched her nose between her fingers. 

“Jagged you really need to be more subtle. At least until after Julika is eighteen. Luka might be of age but she isn’t yet. We already talked about this with Anarka and the kids remember.” This too seemed to be a recurring argument based on the woman's tone.

“Subtle, ha funny.” Marinette muttered still tucked under the Rockstars arm. The silly look the man gave in response wasn’t much of a reprimand.

“But Penny,” Came the grown man’s whine. “This is Brucie and his family, They’re not gonna spill to the paps.”

Damian looked over at his father to see only resigned amusement. 

The couple continued their debate as Marinette and her parents only watched in amusement. Although Marinette had her phone hanging beside her leg where it wasn’t before. Catching his eye Marinette winked and turned the screen to show an open recording. 

Eventually though Father must have felt the need to end the circular conversation. 

“Jagged is right Penny. Although I understand your desire for more secrecy I promise your secret is safe with my family. We ourselves fall under much scrutiny from the press. It is why I try to keep my children out of the media until they are of age. We will protect your family's secrets as we protect our own.” Father’s voice was gentle but held weight. 

Damian wouldn't be surprised if Drake and Father were down in the cave later tonight ensuring the promise was kept and more. He shouldn’t really be surprised at this point. His family was quite renowned for adopting strays. Although he was finding that his family wasn’t alone in that regard.

“Master Wayne.” Alfred's voice broke the sudden silence. “If everyone would please be seated, dinner is served.”

*****

The large group transferred themselves to the formal dining table rather easily. Father took his usual place at the head of the table. Selina took her place next to him though the other side was occupied by Jagged and his fiance. Marinette's parents took the seats next to Selina as they struck up a conversation. 

The seat at the other end of the table was respectfully left open for Alfred as Damian’s brothers filled in the remaining seats. Damian guided Marinette to a seat next to Alfred and took the seat on her other side. He glared at his brothers' amused expressions behind the girls back as she politely thanked Alfred for preparing the meal. 

Thankfully Dick was the one to seat himself on Damians other side. His eldest brother only gave him a proud smile as he pulled out his own chair. 

Damian polightly pulled out the chair for Marinette receiving a bright smile in return. He felt the blood in his cheeks heat up again in response and willed the flush away from his face.

Taking his own seat Damian took in the soothing tones of the various conversations around the table. It was odd how the addition of only a few people seemed to balance the usually chaotic group. It wasn’t just for show, he could see the genuine happiness in his family members. Even Todd and Drake were carrying on a civil conversation. 

Marinette seemed to have transferred from complimenting Alfred on the meal to asking questions about the family's interests. Favorite activities, foods, colors. She asked about little quirks and funny memories. She listened to the old butler with avid attention as he shared his love for them with his stories. It was personal in a way that wasn’t invasive. She wanted to know them as people, not just know about them.

He recalled what she had said earlier about customizing her designs and figured that the girl was taking mental notes on what to incorporate into the designs. He could see his own awe reflected by his two brothers across the table as she nudged out little details and moments that the three of them hadn't even consciously remembered. 

The man that they considered to be a grandfather pulled out memories like favorite pictures for the tiny girl to look at. The stories were not just about the three youngest boys but all of their family. 

At some point the other conversations died down. Alfred rarely spoke so freely and for so long. The love in his stories was reflected by the watery expressions and gentle smiles around the table.

“Oh my,” The man finally stalled, seeing the attention from the rest of the table. “I hadn’t realized. I haven’t been like that in years.”

“Alfred.” Father spoke softly. “Thank you.” 

It was such a simple statement, filled with emotions that the man couldn’t quite express. Alfred understood the man he had raised either way. 

“Of course Master Bruce.” He replied with the same amount of love.

The first to break the tension in the room was Mrs Cheng. With a caring air the woman passed a clean napkin over the table to a teary eyed Dick. “Tears are an important emotional expression. They are formed out of many core’s but each one releases the emotions into the world when our own cup is too full to hold them. Never be ashamed of how full your cup is, especially when it's filled with love.” The motherly smile she graced the table with soothed the way into conversation once more. 

As dinner came to a close the Dupain Cheng family seemed to spur into action to help Alfred clean the table. The family of three insisted upon helping since Alfred had prepared such a lovely meal, and they wouldn't take no for an answer. 

With very little direction the entire meal was cleaned up and the table and kitchen spotless within fifteen minutes. Including the dishes and the leftovers. The group was then presented with a plate of macaroons for desert.

It was a whirlwind, but the treats were amazing. Once those too were cleaned up they all moved to the living room. Marinette’s parents were sharing recipes with Alfred once again as they moved into the larger room. 

Marinette attempted to excuse herself to begin working on the patterns for the suits but was restrained by Jagged and Penny who insisted that she take the evening to relax after the long day. It wasn't long before the small girl was fast asleep draped across the laps of the Rock star and his fiance.

Even in sleep she was a beacon of peace and tranquility. The little snores that she let out were adorable and prompted cooing from Todd. 

Penny was the one who began to slip the girls hair out of her messy pigtails. The woman's fingers combed through the girls hair as she continued her conversation with Selina and Mrs Cheng. 

“Someone should probably take her to her room so she can sleep. Poor thing is going to spend most of the day tomorrow on those designs.” Penny said without pausing her strokes through the small girl's hair.

“Don’t you worry about her. Mari will be happy as can be surrounded by fabric. And that nice machine the Waynes got for her to use will definitely ensure that.” Mrs Cheng reached out to brush a hair from her daughter's face. “New designing supplies are one of her favorite things to experiment with.” 

Damian looked over at the sleeping girl before coming to a decision. She was light, it wouldn't be a hassle. “Mrs Cheng, I can help you carry Marinette up to her room if you would like.”

Selina was the one to look at him in surprise. Marinette's mother seemed undisturbed as she smiled. 

“Are you sure it isn't too much trouble. I can always go get Tom, we’re pretty used to this by now.” Her expression is open. It is something Damian is unfamiliar with.

“It is really no trouble Mrs Cheng.” Damian resisted the urge to scowl at Selina. The woman's expression was still stuck in shock.

“Please call me Sabine, all of Marinette’s friends do.” She answered with a wave of her hand. 

“Very well, Sabine. Please allow me to help you get her settled for the evening.” Damian rowse from his seat and approached the group of women. “Allow me.” He said softly to Penny gesturing to the sleeping girl.

Now that Damian was actually moving he could feel several pairs of eyes watching him. Penny gave him a gentle smile as she slowly maneuvered Marinette into a position where Damian could lift her easily.

Jagged Stone was also watching him with an expression stuck between approving amusement and warning. The Rock star had proclaimed himself an uncle to the girl so it was understandable. Damian would also place a high bet on one of the stares belonging to Marinette's father. Hopefully he would get the chance to work out his own emotions before the man tried to confront him.

For the moment though he carefully slipped his arms under the sleeping Angel, who now seemed to be drooling a little on Penny’s lap. That should really be disgusting, but instead it was adorable. Damian really needed to get a better handle on these feelings. 

With one arm under her knees and the other bracketed around her shoulders Damian lifted Marinette easily into his arms. As expected there was no issue lifting the tiny girl, but Damian was surprised a little. 

The unanticipated weight to the slip of a girl was most likely due to the muscle definition that Damian could feel as he carefully cradled her in his arms. Marinette had quite a bit of musculature on her legs and back that Damian could feel where he was holding her.

He shoved the thought down quickly. It was an inappropriate avenue of thinking no matter how surprised he might be by the revelation. Still the thought was there wondering if all of her muscles were as pronounced. 

Making sure that his hold was secure, and that he wouldn’t drop his Angel if she shifted in her sleep Damian nodded to Sabine. The woman’s eyes were soft as she looked at them with a smile. 

“Thank you Damian.” 

He simply nodded again. No need to embarrass himself further in front of his family. He’d done plenty of that already today.

With his head down he nodded to the rest of the room before exiting with Marinette in his arms. He could sense Sabine behind him as they quietly walked to Marinette's rooms. Damian thanked his training as he easily kept Marinette level and secure in his arms during the walk. It might have not been the intended purpose for his training under the League, but it was certainly useful.

Sabine opened Marinette's door for him as they approached. Damian quickly moved to settle the girl in the bed. Gently easing her out of his grip and onto the duvet. Looking at Marinette's mother for guidance the woman smiled at him again.

“Mari sleeps in her clothes quite often. If we take off her shoes and jacket she’ll be fine for the night.” She whispered to him.

With a silent acknowledgement Damian moved to take her shoe’s off as Sabine skillfully eased the jacket off her arms. Damian cringed at the zippers and pockets on the jacket, that would not be very comfortable to sleep in. 

When he had finished his task he moved to lift Marinette's purse off of her to help Sabine. At the removal of the weight from her side Marinette shifted slightly.

Slowly Damian and Sabine watched to make sure she didn’t wake before continuing. Damian set her purse in the chair next to the bed after removing her phone and plugging it in on the nightstand. 

Sabine kissed her daughters forehead and pulled the blankets up around her before gesturing to Damian. They both exited the room quietly, with bairly the click of the door to indicate their absence.

Again Sabine had a smile as bright as her daughters. The same unusual wisdom shown in the mother's eyes as in the daughters. “Thank you again Damian.” She told him, and the way she said it sounded layered.

“Of course Sabine. It really was no trouble at all. Marinette was wonderful company today.” He kept his head straight. No weakness.

“You spoke with Marinette's friends earlier?” Her smile was soft. 

“Yes, they were certainly interesting.” He kept his tone even.

Sabine nodded. “Good then. Let’s rejoin the group.” She tucked her hand into his elbow and let him guide her down the halway. 

It was an odd experience, the woman asked questions about different decorations as they walked and listened to Damian talk about each one. In all respects it was another thing that he had not experienced before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Damian is very confused by his emotions. Marinette is happily making a new friend while her friends watch her obliviousness strike again. The Batboys mock Damian’s downhill spiral into having human emotions. And Mama Sabine is going to adopt herself a whole gaggle of extra kiddos.


	3. Undesired Wakeup Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is a badass team leader who wishes her friends would be more sympathethic to her emotional plight. Coffee infodump from the bakery child.

Marinette was woken up by her phone buzzing loudly on her desk. As soon as she touches it the Paris news report opens. 

“ _ Chat Noir and Honey Bee are already on the scene. It looks like the akuma is Mr Pigeon, this time with a sentimonster for backup. Megga bird is spitting out bird food as he flies around Paris.  _

_ Just in, Basilisk and Azhdaha have made it to the fight. It appears that the heros have the situation under control. Oh no. Megga bird has begun dropping massive piles of glue like pigeon poop.” _

**AKUMA Alert!!**

_ “Tikki, Kaalki, wake up. There's an akuma.” _ Marinette rushed to her bag to pull on a pair of plain jeans and a black hoodie.

The kwami’s flit out from wherever they had been hiding themselves. Tikki, ever the responsable one flew over to make sure the door was locked just as Marinette slid on her white tennis shoes. 

_ “Ready guys.” _ She exclaimed, out of breath.  _ “Tikki, Spots on. Kaalki, Tikki, merge.” _ Transformations done she takes a breath. _ “Here it goes.” _ LadyYouKe looks at her yoyo screen.  _ “Voyage.” _ She yells forming a portal into her bedroom at home. 

_ “Tikki, Kaalki, Divide. Kaalki go find some food to recharge. I’ll come back here if I need you or you can find me when you're done.” _ Marinette handed the glasses to the kwami.  _ “Hopefully Mr Ramiar is just having a bad day, he really has been doing better lately.” _

She quickly exits through her balcony after grabbing the fox and turtle miraculous just in case. When she arrived at the fight she saw Honey Bee and Basilisk attempting to free themselves from the sticky bird poop.

_ “This is absolutely disgusting.” _ HoneyBee lamented loudly.  _ “I am so going to send that stupid butterfly my drycleaning bill. This is fuzz.”  _

Ladybug laughed, same old Chloe. Although Basilisk didn’t look much happier with his situation so she figured the whining was excusable. Slipping her com out of her yoyo she reached out to her team.

_ “I leave for a day and the city goes to shit.” _ She drawls over the communicator.

_ “Oooh, Miladybug made a pun.” _ Chat Noir pitched in, the first one to put their own communicator in. _ “I would have gone with the ‘to the birds’ pun, but at this point it's overused.” _

The rest of her teammates whined or laughed over the com.

_ “Enough fooling around. Chaton, is bird poop water soluble?” _ Ladybug knew her kitty was a science nerd.  _ “Azhdaha, have you used any of your elements yet?” _ She jumped closer to where her stuck teammates were.  _ “Give me the rundown team.” _

_ “You know the main player Bugaboo. It's one of his bad days and apparently Hawkmoth was prepared to try something new. The bird spreads seed to attract more pigeons and the poop to stick people in place. Unfortunately the poop stinks. Fortunately my nose is now plugged so my allergies aren’t acting up.” _ Chat Noir rattled off. Now that she was paying more attention his voice was a little more naisaly than usual. Small mercies she figured.

_ “All of my power ups are still in place Ladybug. Basilisk and Honey Bee can’t get to their weapons. No Second Chance has been started.” _ Azhdaha listed off efficiently.  _ “Akuma is in the usual place, and we think the amok may be in the little bag on his side.” _

_ “Wonderful. Lets see if we can use a Lucky Charm.” _ Ladybug caught a pair of spotted sewing shears. Not like she wouldn’t be using some quite frequently later in the day. For once she wanted her power to give her something she wanted. Like a cup of coffee, she could really use a cup of coffee.

_ “What is it this time, Bug?” _ Chat Noir asked, and now Ladybug could see him peeking out from behind a building with a bit of red that must be Azhdaha. 

Both of her teammates lit up with spots. She looked around, Basilisk, Honey Bee’s trompo, the lamp posts next to them on the street, a fire hydrant, and a truck. Looking around for the last pieces she spotted Mr Pigeon and the sentimonster, bingo.

_ “It's a pair of shears Kitty.” _ Ladybug tucked them behind her back under her yoyo string.  _ “It reminds me I really need to add pockets to my costume.” _ She sighed, it was an ongoing process. _ “Basilisk can you reach your bracelet?” _

_ “Not at this point, no.” _ Basilisk sounded a little winded.

_ “Okay, I’m going to tell everyone the plan and then as soon as you're free, activate Second Chance. The timing on this one is going to be a little close so we’re going to need it.” _ Ladybug laid out her plan. It wasn’t the most convoluted but it was certainly close. As soon as she had finished she sent her teammates into action. 

_ “You know, I always thought sneezing was bad, but this stink might be worse.” _ Chat Noir jumped out loudly as Azhdaha slipped away. _ “Pigeons are such smelly birds PU.” _

The destruction was effective, Azhdaha was able to slip around to their trapped team members easily. 

_ “WaterDragon!” _ Came softly through the coms as her form changed and dissolved the bird droppings trapping Basilisk and Honey Bee. As the two were freed Ladybug could see Basilisk activate Second Chance before she started running towards Megga bird. 

Just in front of the sentimonster Ladybug wound her yoyo around the lamp posts quietly. Chat Noir still had their opponents' attention as Azhdaha and Honey Bee set about opening the truck and placing the contents about the street. 

_ “Now Chat!” _ Basilisk yelled out causing him to lead Mr Pigeon to street level.

_ “Hey, you know what, we're all a little dirty. Why don't we take a bird bath?” _ Chat Noir laughed.  _ “Cataclysm!”  _ He destroyed the fire hydrant letting water fill the street.

_ “WindDragon!” _ Azhdaha cried before kicking up the opened packets of concrete powder she and Honey Bee had placed around the street. 

The Megga bird started to move forward only to trip over Ladybugs yoyo and fall into the now wet concrete sludge. 

With both of their opponents in the wet concrete Azhdaha enacted the final step.  _ “LightningDragon!” _ Arcing through the concrete from her to Mr Pigeon and then around him to the sentimonster. 

_ “Venom!” _ Honey Bee stung Mr Pigeon to fix him in place even as Azhdaha secured the sentimonster. 

Ladybug took a deep breath and aimed. Throwing the shears she cut off and snagged the pouch before the shears rebounded off one of the light posts. 

Grabbing the whistle on the way back and delivering both into the waiting hands of Basilisk. The snake ripped the pouch and snapped the whistle releasing the akuma and amuk.

Ladybug caught both in her yoyo,  _ “Bye bye little butterfly. Bye bye little feather.” _ The shears were delivered back to her by Basilisk in the next moment.  _ “Miraculous Ladybug!” _ She shouted before the magic ladybugs cleared the streets of the concrete, poop and bird seed that had been distributed over the course of the battle.

Overall it was one of their quicker battles. Basilisk held up three fingers to her. Only three resets this time, and the snake looked cheerful. The five heroes gathered up for a hug before pulling away as they knew the press would be there soon. 

_ “Pound it.” _ They coroused just as the reporters arrived. Once again Alya was in the lead, Nadja Chamack close behind her.

Ladybug sighed, at least the reporters were not in the middle of the fight this time. Alya might still be her friend but the other girl was a nuisance when it came to akuma battles. 

_ “They were stuck by the poop before we were.” _ Honey Bee whispered in her ear.

_ “Sorry, but no interviews today. No time everyone, but thank you soo much for staying away from the akuma fight today. We really appreciate everyone doing their part to make our job easier and staying away from the fights is a great help to us.” _ Ladybug's smile was bright even as her words bit into the reporters. Most of them were live streaming, hopefully a little ‘support’ from their audience for their ‘help’ today would keep them out of the way. Not likely, but a bug could hope. _ “Bug Out.” _

Ladybug swung away with a wave to Mr Ramiar making a note to have one of the team check in on him later when they weren’t on a timer. Luckily it was summer so the rest of the group didn't have to hurry back to school. 

Instead they landed at the Grand Pari and detransformed just as they were walking through Chloe’s balcony doors. 

With an exaggerated sigh the now detransformed Chloe collapsed on her couch.  _ “That was one of the most disgusting things I have ever experienced.” _ She waved a hand.  _ “Kwami snacks are in the mini bar, help yourselves.” _

Marinette walked over to the bar with an exhausted Tikki and found she couldn’t really be surprised to find Kaalki sitting next to a half empty bowl of sugar cubes.  _ “Kaalki you're going to make yourself sick. We can save some for the trip back if you want.” _

_ “But this is luxury. It is my due, this is where I truly belong. Fame and fortune..” _ Marinette tunes the kwami out, she had said the same thing when they were settling into the manor last night. 

_ “Okay guys, I love you, but it was 6am in Gotham when I left. It's closer to 7 now and I really should get back before someone comes looking for me.” _ Marinette walked over to drape herself over Kagami and Luka in a semblance of a hug. 

_ “She’s right, there are a lot of people in the manor and most of them are incredibly observant.” _ Tikki confirmed as she finished off her cookie. 

_ “Mhpf.” _ Came muffled from where Adrien laid next to Chloe on the bed. Both of them face down, blond hair in styled perfection despite their position. 

_ “The kid is asking if anything interesting happened.” _ Plagg translated from across the room.

_ “Meh, not sense yesterday on the phone.” _ Marinette began before Tikki cut her off giggling. “ _ What Tikki?”  _ She asked warily.

_ “Damian helped your mom take you upstairs after you fell asleep in the living room.” _ Tikki sang out. 

Marinette stood up in shock. She just barely saw Kagami grudgingly hand over a slip of money to Luka. Friends? What friends? She had no friends, only tormentors.

_ “Nope, we are not talking about this now or ever.” _ Marinette went to gather up the horse miraculous from the bar and put them on.  _ “I can't deal with my own emotional input right now and I have to finish three suits in a week and a half. Nope, emotions can take a hike right now. Nope nope nope nope no way.” _

_ “Look on the bright side.” _ Kagami began.  _ “At least this one is actually partially aware of their own feelings in regards to you.”  _

_ “Hey.” _ Adrien argued halfheartedly.

_ “And you like him back.” _ Luka said, daring her to argue. 

_ “I’m still not thinking about it right now. My track record with boys absolutely sucks.” _ Marinette lamented loudly.

_ “And girls aren’t an option for you.” _ Chloe pitched in teasingly, getting a fist-bump from Adrien in solidarity.  _ “Wayne is pretty though. In a dark and broody kinda way. You like broody, remember Felix?” _

_ “Don't remind me.” _ Marinette and Adrien coursed with twin shudders. 

_ “And you like dark.” _ Luka said with a smirk before Kagami punched him in the arm.

_ “You all suck. I’m leaving so I can go get coffee.” _ Marinette put on the glasses.  _ “Kaalki, Full Gallop.”  _

_ “Love you Mari.” _ Her friends sang.

Marinette smiled. _ “I love you guys too. See you for the next battle, or next week if Hawkmoth decides to take a vacation. Voyage!” _

_ “That’s the dream.” _ She heard Adrien say just as she stepped through the portal.

*****

Back in her room in Gotham city Marinette changed out of her casual street disguise into a soft blue t-shirt dress and purple leggings. She braided her hair with a purple ribbon and tied it with a hair tie before slipping into a pair of blue ballet flats. She then grabbed her purse for the two kwami’s to hide in before exiting the room. 

Marinette made her way easily to the kitchen following the faint smell of coffee. Given that it was a weekday some of the family must be up already for work. And that meant someone had already made the coffee.

Blurry-eyed now that the adrenaline of the fight and transformation had worn off Marinette robotically entered the kitchen. Upon seeing a cup of coffee perfectly prepared on the counter she let out a happy noise and grabbed it and began to drain the mug.

She was halfway through the miracle brew before she realized that all the other people in the kitchen are silent. She looks up to see a shocked Jason, a sleepy Tim and an amused Dick just in front of her. Turning she sees Damian next to her with a pleased expression and Bruce looking resigned. 

“What.” She says eloquently.

“Tch. You are perfect Angel.” Damian deadpans.

“Huh.” Still eloquent, she takes another sip of coffee.

Dick laughs. “Honestly this is the best, better than morning cartoons.”

“I’m confused. Is there something on my face? Did I forget to do my hair?” Marinette starts to put one hand up to her face before Damian grasps her hand to stop her.

“No Marinette, you look amazing.” Damian places her hand on the table and covers it with his own.

“Pixie Pop.” Jason says now seemingly recovered from his shock. His current expression matches the one Bruce is wearing.

“Yeah Jason?” Marinette is getting lost.

“That was my coffee.” He simply states with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh.” She says in realization. “Opps.” Marinette thinks for a second and mentally shrugs.    
In for a penny... “It's very good coffee.” She takes another sip. In for a pound.

Dick wheezes. 

Damian's hand squeezes hers and she can see a tiny uptick of his mouth from the corner of her eye. 

“It's just like I take my coffee,” She takes another sip. “Lot’s of cream and sugar. A friend got me liking it, she’s got a real sweet tooth.” Marinette was starting to feel a little more awake and her cup was now empty. She got up, patting Damians hand and giving him a shy smile.

She noticed everyone was now staring at Jason with various expressions. Unconcerned she shrugged and moved to where the still filled coffee pot was. Looking in the cupboard above she pulled out another coffee cup. She filled both cups most of the way with coffee before glancing around for the creamer. Alfred of course was the one who handed it to her along with the sugar. Marinette carefully added cream and sugar to both cups and stirred them thoroughly. Setting the new cup in front of Jason with a smile Marinette hoped conveyed her apology she then retook her seat next to Damian. 

It seemed like everyone held their breath as Jason took a sip of the fresh cup of coffee before letting out a satisfied hum.

The dam broke. Dick and Tim both started laughing and Marinette could feel slight shaking as Damian held in his own laughter beside her.

Marinette sighed. “Okay, I’m confused again.”

Jason put his head in his hands, but not before taking another sip of coffee.

“Is there something wrong with my coffee?” She asks harshly, satisfied with the immediate silence and attention. Chloe was a great teacher on how to command a room quickly.

“No, sorry Marinette. It’s just we’ve been convinced for years that Jason takes his coffee with cream, no sugar.” Dick answers, voice still filled with amusement.

“I repeat. Is there something wrong with the way I, and by apparent extension Jason, like to drink our coffee?” Her voice is hard and challenging. “Dami?”

The boy next to her sits up straighter.

“Black coffee?” She asks, much softer than how she previously spoke.

“No, Black with sugar.” He responds.

Marinette pauses. It was a little personal, but she had already started this might as well finish it. “May I?” She asks, gesturing to his mug.

The rest of the room stands silent as Damian nods.

Marinette makes eye contact with every person in the room. Winking at Jason and Damian and glaring coldly at the rest. And she takes a long sip of Damian's coffee. 

It’s strong, not awful but still. Damian put a good amount of sugar in but not as much as she put into hers or Jason’s. The flavors of the coffee are more prevalent but there's also the underlying bitterness that most coffee has. She can tell the coffee is more expensive, but not from any micro roasters, the flavors are more even than mass produced but still not very evenly balanced. 

“Not bad coffee, but not the best either. Remind me to look into some smaller roasters and get you guys some recommendations. The beans are expensive but not necessarily better. Smaller roasters get much better control on their supply and the flavor of their final product.” She sets the cup back in front of Damian with a smile. “Just because someone likes to drink their daily coffee a certain way doesn't mean they can't drink it another way. Personally you get more of the coffee's flavor with less cream but it depends on if I want to suffer the bitterness.”

“How do you know that?” Tim is the one to ask. “I thought it was luck or money to make it taste better. I love coffee but some stuff is nasty.”

Marinette scoffs. “My parents own a bakery. We served coffee, and I got curious.” She smiled at them. “Now we serve a small selection of premium and delicious coffees. We also direct customers to the micro roasters if they ask.”

“Teach me.” Tim asks earnestly, pulling another scoff out of Damian. 

“Thought you were supposed to be all about coffee Drake. Now you're getting shown up.” Damian ribbed.

“Nah, replacement just downs the stuff, he doesn’t even taste it.” Jason pipes in.

Marinette leans into Damian and begins to consume her coffee with a happy sigh. The boys bicker around her as she starts to gradually let her mind awaken.

The arguing has mostly settled down by the time her parents come into the kitchen. Her Maman be-lines for the cupboard that Marinette is sure holds Alfred’s selection of teas. The lumbering of her Papa stops just behind her and she feels his warm hand on her shoulder. It's comforting and she leans back into him. 

Next to her Damian stiffens in a way that makes her think he was receiving the same treatment. She kept a giggle inside at the thought and patted his arm in understanding.

“Maman, Papa, did you enjoy sleeping in?” Marinette asked as her Maman passed over a fresh cup of coffee to her Papa and began drinking her own tea.

Papa laughed, “Yeah little bluebell. It was a nice change. Although pretty soon I’ll be missing my ovens.” 

“Sleeping in?” Dick questioned in confusion. It was understandable considering it was still only around 7:30 in the morning.

Maman was the one to respond this time. “Bakeries don't open themselves in the mornings. Tom and I are usually up by 4 to start getting food ready and making sure the shop is open by 6.” 

There are understanding nods around the room. Everyone quietly drank their coffee, or tea, and ate a few snacks. Eventually some of the group had to get themselves ready to leave for the work day. 

Bruce and Tim were bundled out the door by Alfred to be driven to Wayne Enterprises. A Motorcycle was pulled out of the garage by Dick after the man finished his own coffee and put on his Gotham PD uniform.

Marinette took the opportunity to snag some cookies and sugar cubes that she quickly put into her purse. She then left with a few words about starting on the patterns for the suits.

As soon as she was in her room with the door locked Tikki flew out of her purse. The kwami looked mildly put out. 

“Marinette we forgot to put the turtle and fox back in the box before we left Paris” The little kwami called out in concern.

Marinette thought about it for a moment. She had grabbed the two miraculous out of instinct while in Paris, but neither had been used for the battle. In fact neither had been used in a while. The people who had experience with the two gems were still her friends, but they were compromised. Both of their identities were known by Hawkmoth, not to mention Marinette no longer held the same unconditional trust in Alya and Nino that had led her to give them the Miraculous in the first place.

It had long since been a sad conclusion to realize that the bond they used to have had not grown as it could have. They were still friends, but they were no longer best friends. Marinette didn’t tell Alya about her relationship with Jagged or the other commissions that she got every once in a while through the rock star. As Marinette had started maturing and growing she had realized that her friend wasn’t growing in the same way.

That's not to say that Alya wasn’t growing. The fact was that Marinette had been made to grow much faster due to her responsibilities. She had been class president for several years, Ladybug was practically a full time job, starting her own business for commissions and then she became the Guardian. There wasn’t room for her to make mistakes or take risks like Alya did. 

With the Lila situation staying where it was, an annoying stresser who consistently tried to trip her up with moderate success, Marinette had convinced her parents to sign her up for therapy. It wasn’t perfect, she couldn’t share that part of her problems were of the superhero variety, but it was helpful in managing her stress and emotions. 

Alya was still friends with Lila, and Nino was attached to Alya at the hip. With the suspicions Marinette had about the italian liar she couldn't risk two miraculous to the former wielders. 

However, it was strange how she had grabbed them before leaving the bakery. She had used Rena Rouge and Carapace rarely after the mass reveal, but hadn’t had the two create new identities for the miraculous. Ladybug had been clear that the use was not permanent and she had been looking for other suitable holders for the two miraculous. Nino had been understanding, Alya less so. It was hard to see her friend in pain like that, but the risks were too large to let Alya or Nino keep the miraculous. 

The reporter was not subtle and had repeatedly uncovered and shared information that Marinette could tell Hawkmoth made use of. Details of powers, heroes age ranges, theories about the origins and limitations of the miraculous. The one thing she hadn’t shared in her reports was the existence of the kwami’s, though Trixx might have been responsible for that.

Marinette had hope that her friend would be able to mature once she had more distance from Lila and perhaps even Paris itself. Having someone promising to fulfill all of your future dreams was a big hindrance to progress. Nino had continued to participate in film competitions and had started being a DJ in his free time. Thankfully Alya kept the Ladyblog mainly factual, even if it irritates the heros, and had started publishing other stories on the side. The couple would survive despite their questionable company.

But, Ladybug hadn’t needed the fox or the turtle for the battle so why had she grabbed them? Wayzz had said that the reason Master Fu always let Ladybug choose her own allies was her natural instincts. She was particularly suited to the Ladybug miraculous and additionally to the skills of the Guardian. The rarity of that combination had been the reason for her training, and why Wayzz had continued for months after she first gained the position.

If her instincts told her to grab the two miraculous then they most likely would be needed. Marinette would just have to wait and see where. Not exactly her favorite thing to do but she was learning.

“Do you think I should talk to Wayzz?” Marinette asked her kwami. “It doesn’t feel right to take them back. He did say that my instincts wouldn’t always make logical sense.”

Tikki floated as she concentrated. “Yeah that might be a good idea. Wayzz remembers more of the Guardian’s abilities than I do.” Tikki had mentioned before that her wielders, and Plagg’s, were rarely suited to the position of Guardian.

Marinette nodded and exchanged Kaalki’s glasses for the bracelet. She might have trained to hold multiple miraculous at a time but it was still a strain. Better to keep it as two for now and save her strength.

With a flash of bright green Wayzz appeared. “Hello Guardian, this is not Paris?”

“No Wayzz it's Gotham city America. Apparently I brought you and Trixx here after the last battle.” Marinette waited to see what the kwami would say.

“Your instincts are stronger now. It is not unusual that you are drawn to certain actions and paths.” Wayzz seemed unconcerned so Marinette took a breath.

“Thanks, I was a little worried that I had just screwed up.” Marinette felt Tikki fly up to hug her cheek while Wayzz put a little paw on her shoulder.

“No no no, Marinette you are the best Ladybug and Guardian.” Tikki argued furiously.

“We shall have to wait. Would you like me to stay active for a while?” Wayzz had a better handle on his energy draw than most of the other kwami due to his years with Master Fu. 

“Yeah but I should still keep the horse with me just in case.” Thankfully Kaalki didn’t need to stay out and she could tuck the dormant glasses into a hidden pocket of her leggings.

That out of the way Marinette laid out her pattern material on the floor and started to draw out the suit jackets for the boys based on the measurements she took the day before. She had done suits for Jagged and other clients before so she was easily able to draw out the three different patterns for each of the boys. Once those were drawn out and double checked she started on the pant patterns making a note to double check the measurements during the first fittings. 

Breaking out the shears with a giggle she hummed out some vague tunes as she cut out each of the pattern pieces. The shears cut through the thin pattern material quickly and Marinette was just finishing up when there was a knock on the door. 

“One minute.” She called before waving for the two kwami to hide in her purse.

Opening the door to see Damian and Alfred she smiled brightly. 

“Perfect timing, I can check the pattern measurements before I even cut the fabric.” She said as she grabbed the sleeve of a surprised Damian. Pattern pieces were quickly attached over his light gray long sleeve shirt.

“When you are done turning the young Master into a pin cushion perhaps you would care for some lunch.” Alfred said as he followed them into the room. 

“Oh, is it that late already. My, I guess I lost track of the time.” Marinette said around the pins in her mouth. She was quick to remove them and pin the rest of the pattern outline onto Damian. 

Stepping back she motioned for him to turn around. Covered with the light white fabric he looked quite silly, but Marinette was a professional and quickly made slight adjustments to the fit and marked them. In no time both the jacket and the pants had markings of red pen on them and Marinette was carefully removing the pins. 

“Perfect, I’ll snag Jason after lunch if he’s still here and then I can get Tim after he is back from work.” Marinette smiled as she tidied up some of her supplies. “Good thing too, making adjustments now is much easier than later on in the process.” She grabbed her purse. “Okay I’m ready. Sorry for making you wait, and ambushing you at the door.” 

There was a twinkle of amusement in Alfred’s eyes. “Not a problem Miss Marinette.” He said, earning a shocked look from Damian as he led them out the door.

“He called you by your first name.” Damian breathed out as he fell in step beside her. “How did you get him to do that so quickly?” 

Marinette simply smiled at the boy before skipping cheerfully down the hallway. She had to keep some of her secrets after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So I actually like to sew, though most of my experience is in Quilting and clothing is something I have recently started making more often. I don't actually know how professional designers make stuff so I will be using my own experience and some light research as reference. Also I hope you guys liked my convoluted lucky charm and the new names for the heroes. I will try to fit in more detailed descriptions of the heroes' outfits later on in the story because this fic is partially about fashion. Also the coffee information is because I took a college course on the history, culture and economics of coffee and now I have opinions. If you can look up some nearby coffee roasters and try them out. Not all of them are good but when they are it is phenomenal. So much better than just big name canister grounds.   
> Additionally I don’t hate Alya or Nino, I just don't have a good handle around writing her character and I had a dynamic I liked for the core group of heroes. So if you are hardcore Alya or Nino fans just know my sister has already read me the riot act. I’m still sticking to my plot though.


	4. Emotional Moments - are important!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of plot and mystery is introduced to our persistent heroes. I'm bad at summaries when I'm writing them just before I post. Wanted to give you guys another chapter though, so long as the chapter is written the summary is just extra.

Sitting at the kitchen table Marinette fiddled with the turtle bracelet disguised around her wrist. It had formed into a more solid jade color and was held by silver chains rather than the usual black and green twine. Her fiddling caught Alfred’s eye as the butler placed dishes in front of her and Damian. 

“That is a pretty bracelet Miss Marinette. Very intricate detailing.” The man said kindly.

“Thank you Mister Alfred. It was inherited from an old teacher I had for awhile when I started learning Mandrin.” She smiled softly as she stroked the charm. “I miss him dearly, wearing it helps me to remember his advice.” 

“He sounds very wise. I am sorry for your loss.” Damian said softly with an arm comfortingly around her shoulder.

The meal was calm after that. Damian's arm was a comfortable addition as he soothed the slightly reopened wound. Her parents knew Master Fu as the kindly Mandrin teacher who had gently prodded Marinette into looking into therapy before his death. It was as close to the truth as she could share even though it came up short.

When Jason entered the room Marinette's attention fixed on him. Sensing the single minded focus Jason stopped like a deer in the headlights. Carefully checking over his outfit and seeing the jeans and t-shirt Marinette nodded.

“After lunch you’re mine Jason.” She said mischievously. “We’re going to make certain you don’t have the opportunity to ruin my hard work.”

The chuckling from Damian was thanks enough considering the scared look Jason now wore. Getting the stoic boy to react was quickly becoming a favorite pastime.

“The jeans can stay for this fitting as long as they don't need a belt.” Marinette waved at him.

The frightened man was slow to finish his meal with both Marinette and Damian watching him with dual creepy expressions. Just before he was finished Marinette broke character and started giggling.

“You look so scared.” She was able to breath out. Damian was patting her back to make sure she was breathing.

“You are both evil. I don’t know how Demon Spawn corrupted you and I don’t like it.” Jason pouted as they all stood up.

“Come on you big baby. It won’t take that long. I’m good at what I do and quick. Trust me, Uncle Jagged isn’t very good at staying still.” Marinette led the two boys back to her room.

She directed Jason to stand in the middle and had Damian hold her pincushion and red pen. With the same speed she used earlier to fit Damian she assembled the appropriate pieces on Jason. She made extra checks on the shoulder and arm seams. 

Jason's jacket was a much looser fit in the arms so she checked to make sure that it would look right when worn. Luckily the man's broad frame was more accommodating to the less streamlined cut. She also noted to add detailing to the inside of the sleeves so he could roll them up sense he kept making aborted motions to do the same to the pinned on pattern pieces. It wouldn't be too hard to add detailing to the inside red up to the elbows. 

Once again she made sure to mark all of the adjustments down and add notes into her sketchbook. She wanted to make sure the jacket was well fitted despite the loose appearance and fit to the style. 

“Okay now just the shirt.” She said as she quickly unpinned the jacket pieces and replaced them with the ones for the shirt. While pinning the pieces she realized something. “ _ Merde _ . I forgot to get the material for your shirt. Too focused on the jackets and the pretty fabric.” Marinette knew that it was also the effect of meeting someone who actually understood her world that distracted her. 

“That's okay Angel. I’ll take you back to the store tomorrow. You have plenty to work on in the meantime.” Damian soothed her quickly. 

She smiled gratefully. “Thank you Damian.” Then she turned back to her pinning. “When I finish this I’ll have you hold the fabric I got and take some pictures for reference.” She told Jason.

The man smirked. “What? You two don’t want me to tag along?” he said teasingly. Unfortunately for Jason his words caused her to jerk and accidentally stick him with a stray pin, which only compounded her embarrassment. 

“Sorry, sorry.” She sputtered out. 

Jason only laughed. “Pixie Pop I’ve had a lot worse than your little pinpricks. I’m fine, thanks for the entertainment though.” 

Marinette sped through the rest of the measurements deep in her own embarrassment. Once Jason was free of the pattern material she laid the suit fabric across his shoulder and took several pictures from different angles. She did the same with the lining material and noted to make the shirt able to fold up with the jacket. Or just make one in a short sleeve, no one would notice the difference anyway.

“Done.” She said quietly before taking a deep breath for confidence. “Damian I’m going to want to see what shirt and tie you are thinking of wearing. Same thing for Tim and the tie for you Jason. I am holding veto rights.” She wags her finger at the two boys.

They just nod, cowed by her veminance. There was no way they were wearing anything she hadn’t approved beforehand.

“Now out you.” She shooed the boys. “I have to start cutting the fabric for your suits. Hopefully I can get the shells done most of the way tonight. Or at least the shells and linings of the pants. I can fit those to you tomorrow. Thankfully Tim has his work suits tailored, they might not be formal but they have updated measurements. I’ll double check his before I cut though.” She moves to organize again. “Send him up when he gets home. No excuses.”

With that she shuffles both of them out of the door. Once she’s sure they’ve left she opens her purse to let the kwami’s out. “Sorry you had to stay in there so long.”

“It is no problem Guardian, I actually quite like your new friends. The old one seems very wise, he reminds me a bit of the Master.” Wayzz gets a bit of a distant look. “Your mother does the same at times.”

“That reminds me, Wayzz. I ran into someone from the temple yesterday. She runs the fabric store Damian offered to take me to tomorrow. She recognised me as both Ladybug and the Great Guardian.” She cups the little green kwami in her hand. “I can keep you active tomorrow when we go to pick up the rest of the fabric. She seemed like she was very nice.”

“Her name was Katrina, I didn’t remember her from the temple but I wasn’t active at the time.” Tikki added on. “She had a lovely aura. It was open and honest, I liked her.” 

“I would be grateful if I could come. I vaguely recall a newly trained Master named Katrina, She would have been older than the Master at the time. She is most certainly younger now.” Wayzz seemed pleased with the development.

Marinette left the kwami’s to their conversation and began to lay out and cut the pieces for Damian’s jacket and pants. After those she moved to cut out the pieces for Jason's suit. When she checked the time it was already almost 4 so she decided to take a break.

Gathering up her laptop and purse she checked to make sure she had both kwami’s before exiting the room. She went to the same sunny room that she had used yesterday and pulled out her computer to set up a video call. It was around 10 in Paris so she wasn’t sure if she would interrupt anyones patrol. Sure enough only Adrien and Kagami joined the call.

“ _ Hey guys. I’m guessing the others are busy?”  _ Marinette greeted her friends. They had decided before the trip to not discuss their hero lives during video calls unless they were certain it was secure. With Kagami and Adrien the only safe options were calling while transformed or talking in code.  _ “I got the material cut for Damian and Jason’s suits. The shells at least.” _

_ “Very nice Mari-Chan. Yes the others are busy. Nothing out of the ordinary just the usual stuff.” _ Kagami replied. “ _ Adrien and I have been tasked with appropriately preparing for next week. To summarize we had been practicing our english. _ ”

Marinette laughed, both Kagami and Adrien had perfect english. Kagami was fluent in Japanese, Persian, Arabic, and French as well. Adrien was also fluent in Mandarin and had been learning Cantonese from Marinette's mother. Marinette had also been teaching Adrien the language of the Guardians. “I’m sure your language skills will be amazing.” Marinette said, switching seamlessly to english. She tried to maintain the illusion that she was a good influence on the two sheltered rich kids. So far both parents had apparently agreed that Marinette was a well mannered girl with selfless ambitions and a bright future. “How was your day?” 

“Mild, I had another fitting this afternoon. It was for the wedding of course.” Adrien seemed put out. He had mentioned that some of the designers and tailors he worked with weren't very careful with their pins. Marinette cringed in sympathy. “I have a photoshoot tomorrow morning for the fall line. Last minute as usual.” 

“At least you didn’t have to do the summer shoot.” Kagami teased him. “Mari-Chan made a strong case for that one.” The girl referenced the beginning of the spring when Gabriel had wanted to do a swimsuit shoot in the park. Since Adrien had some scars left over from their more severe akuma battles Marinette had come to the rescue.

It hadn’t hurt that Gabriel had wanted the shoot to be with Lila. Fortunately Marinette had innocently asked about some of the lesser quality Agreste campaigns that had been posted recently. All of which included Lila hanging off of Adrien or another male model. 

She started with pointing out the girls unnatural posing. Then the discomfort in the other male models. And lastly followed up by the unusually tight hold she had with her nails in Adriens last set of shoots. 

After that settled in Marinette pointed out the backlash that came from pushing underage models into uncomfortable positions. And how a swimsuit line in the park in early spring would definitely make anyone uncomfortable. She then proposed some new color palettes that would compliment one of the summer Gabriel lines much better.

It had been a brilliant attack. Gabriel probably still didn't realize he had been played by the small little designer fresh on the scene. Marinette had fooling Mr Agreste to help Adrien down to an art. Every excursion had a backed up explanation with references and all of the team was prepared to cover for Adrian, or Kagami, when needed.

Mrs Tursurgi was more difficult, but she was also slightly less restrictive. Kagami’s mother was also much more predictable in her reactions. Which in turn meant that she required less backup plans. 

It helped that none of Marinette's arguments were actually lies. And that she worked them into conversation so casually.

‘ _ The Louvre is a fabulous educational experience. So much history to experience in person. _ ’ 

If they ended up doing something else and the parents asked about the museum. 

‘ _ My favorite exhibit has to be the history of fashion. _ ’ Marinette would gush. ‘ _ And Adrien spent so much time in the medieval Europe exhibit. Kagami practically dragged him to the Asian art display. And there was a beautiful kimono on display that gave me so many ideas for new designs _ .’ It had become a game with the three less restricted members of their team. 

Chloe would drag them to spa treatments or fancy restaurants, sometimes just because she could get away with it. Neither of the strict parents wanted to risk getting on the mayor's bad side for such a silly reason. 

Luka would talk about classical and cultural music that he was learning about with Kagami or Adrien. His knowledgeable and calm manner was able to set at least Gabriel at ease with his appearance. 

Especially after Marinette made an offhand comment about the integration of punk design trends with the mainstream fashion industry. Tomoe seemed to think the boy was a calming force whose subtle ambition and passion for his craft could benefit Kagami.

At first they had been surprised by how easily Marinette had circumvented their over-controlling parents. But then Adrien had remarked that this wasn't the most convoluted plan Ladybug had created to save the day. 

“What about you Gami?” Marinette asked with a smile. 

“I was practicing in the park for the majority of the day. Though mother did give me leave just before lunch. I had a spa day with Chloe and Luka after lunch.” Kagami smiled softly.

“We miss you Mari. Chloe is going crazy, she says no one understands her fashion like you do. Kagami and I don't care enough, and Luka has different tastes.” Adrien lamented. The model might understand fashion but he didn't actually care about it.

“I miss you guys too. I can’t wait until next week. Although I do have much fewer interruptions to my work.” Marinette teased her well meaning friends.

“Mari-Chan, you better be taking food breaks and not forgetting to eat again.” Kagami scolded.

She soothed her friend's concerns. “Don’t worry Gami, the Waynes butler Alfred made sure to come and get me for lunch with Damian.” 

“How is that going?” Adrien asked, wagging his eyebrows.

Kagami laughed under her breath. “You still look silly when you do that.”

“It's going fine if you must know.” Marinette grumped at her friend. “Though you know what the Americans say about curiosity and the cat.”

“Ahh, but Princess you forgot the rest of the saying.” The cheshire grin was strong with this cat. “Satisfaction brought it back.” 

“You are awful. Why am I friends with you?” Her smile canceled out the bite of her words.

“Because I’m very lovable and you couldn't help yourself.” Adrien said confidently before Kagami cut him off with a loud scoff.

The three of them dissolved into giggles. They carried on for several minutes before Kagami jerked up.

“Sorry guys, it's getting late. I have to head to bed. Adrien I will see you tomorrow for training. Marinette, I look forward to seeing you next week. Until then.” Kagami’s screen went dark.

Adrien looked at Marinette intently for several long moments before he spoke again. “Does he care about you? Like really care?” His face is soft. They don’t hide things from each other anymore. Even the things they don't want the others to know quite yet. “I understand if you don’t want the others to know yet.” 

Marinette knew he really did understand. They had been by each other's sides for almost four years now. They loved each other differently than they had though they would but it was love all the same. Platonic soulmates was the best concept Marinette could equate it to. Siblings in all but blood, though they had shed plenty of their own blood together. Together they have faced death, pain and heartbreak. They were each other's backup and confidant. Marinette had even begun sharing some of the guardians' knowledge after Master Fu’s and their subsequent reveal.

“I think so. Adrien it's the oddest thing. It reminds me of when we met, but this time I'm not as confused as we were then. It feels that natural.” Marinette explained to her partner.

The boy's face is thoughtful. “So you feel like it's natural to have him by your side, supporting you?” She could hear the unsaid depth, though there was no jealousy in her friend's tone.

“Not just that,” It was hard to keep the nicknames out of their conversation. “It feels natural to support him too. I’m confident following his lead. Adrien, that rarely happens consistently even with you.” 

Adrien looks slightly confused but also a little pleased. “I might have some theories Princess, but they’ll have to wait a bit longer.” 

She can hear the unspoken words, ‘can’t explain on the phone’ and ‘not enough information yet’. Their ability to understand each other had only grown over the years.

“Okay Adrien. Thank you for listening.” She said. The, ‘thank you for not being mad’ going unspoken but understood. “I’ll let you get to bed.”

“Talk to you later Mari.” Adrien said before the entire screen went black.

*********

Adrien closed the computer screen with an audible click. He had started using the laptop for video calls since it was easier to check for spyware than his desktop. He took in several deep breaths. Trying to not let the emotions and anticipation overwhelm him.

“Plagg?” He calls softly. “Do you think I’m right about this?” There was a chance he was just seeing things. Making up fairy tales because he wants them to be true.

“It’s possible. Weirder things have happened around the miraculous since their creation.” The kwami was unusually serious. “Did I ever tell you about the dinosaurs? Man that was a trip.”

“Wow, what are the chances?” Adrien exhaled. 

“Like I said kid, higher than you’d think.” Plagg floated over to sit on his shoulder. “The Magic of the miraculous is a strong and stubborn force. Hawkmoth has thrown the balance of things and the world changes much faster now than it did centuries ago.”

“So it could be possible. We could both be happy.” Tears filled his eyes. 

Plagg started rumbling quietly in his shoulder. “I can't promise you that everything will work out, kid. But I have a feeling, and I have hope that it will.” The tinny kwami continued to purr.

“I don’t know if I’ll be ready for what’s coming Plagg.” Adrien whispered. “What if I’m not strong enough? What if we’re wrong?”

“I’ll be here kid, no matter what you're not going through this alone.” The quiet purr continued to accompany the words.

Adrien looked out the window. The tall glass panes broken up like prison bars, a few open to let in the warm summer air. Moonlight shaded the bars on the floor in high definition spanning over his bed and the entire room.

“You're my kitten Adrien, don’t ever forget that.” Plagg soothed as the boy climbed into bed and pulled the blankets over his head to block out the bright light of the moon. 

“You’re right Plagg. We can do this, after all, we’re Chat Noir.” And with that both kwami and boy fell asleep in their cocoon of blankets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I had to soften the edgy at the end. After all this is a fluffy fic. It just so happens that I have discovered a plot, or it found me. Either way Plot is now officially happening. Reminder that italics are non english but sometimes french isn't italicized because it is the first language of some of the main characters who are still in Paris and obviously speaking mainly french. Additionally I like to write fluff, action and deep emotional connections between characters as you can tell if you’ve read up to this point. If you haven’t realized yet consider this your belated warning.


	5. When in doubt, fight it out.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian is still confused. Why does he like this girl so much? Should he get a second opinion, nah they’ll make fun of him. How will Marinette ever wrangle Tim for a fitting? Extension, the Bat-Fam will tease. This is fact, patrol is not a hindrance to sibling interrogation, it is an opening.

Damian was hanging by his legs from a tree in the garden lost in thought. This entire situation struck him as unusual. He had the strongest urge to call Jon but knew the Kryptonian would be less than helpful at this point. Most likely his friend would just be excited that Damian was making friends with other kids their age who they didn’t have to fight alongside.

Contrary to popular belief Damian was not unaware of his own emotions and their implications. He was simply used to having to force them into the background, a trained response from years with the League of Assassins. But he was unsure of how to handle certain emotional responses. In this case liking someone he just met. 

The Heir to the Demon had not been trained to like people, neither had the son of the infamously paranoid Batman been raised to trust people. His relationships were formed from mutual respect and eventual forays into emotional attachment. With his Father it had been a dependance on his protection and an understanding that he held the begrudging respect of Ra’s and Talia. Grayson had been persistent and emotionally open, trusting Damian when he shouldn't have but defeating him in any head on fights. 

The easiest relationship, besides Grayson and obviously Alfred, had been with Todd. Red Hood knew the urge to commit violence that the League had trained into him. He knew the poisonous corruption that came from the depths of the Pit and the cold satisfaction of a well planned kill. The mutual understanding that Todd offered him had been refreshing when his urges rebelled against his new lifestyle.

And Drake, well, Damian was mature enough to admit that he might have been the culprit for their less than cordial beginnings. 

Friendship that wasn’t forced by the bonds of family was not something familiar to him. With Jon the two had been forced together as some absurd parenting experiment by the Dark Knight and Man of Steel. Forced association that formed into a mutual friendship over the course of their acquaintance. It was messy and took months for Damian to treat his now best friend with more than casual disregard or outright dismissal. 

This new desire to stay close to someone he had only just met was disorienting. Even more so was the fact that his attention was apparently returned. And Damian did not doubt the honesty of Marinette's emotions. The girl did not hide her own bewilderment at their slowly forming relationship. Damian hesitated to call such a thing a mutual crush when it felt so much deeper than such a description allowed. 

There was a pit of fear that the soft girl could turn into a weakness, but it was overshadowed by the instinct to be closer to her. He recalled their interaction with his family that morning. How Marinette let him in on her little plan to chastise his brothers, and then helped him mess with Todd at lunch. It reminded him of some of the pranks he would pull off with Jon, though his Angel was much more tactical in her assaults.

With a sigh Daiman swung himself out of the tree with a simple backflip. It would not help to ruminate on this right now if he wasn't going to do anything about it. At this point he would just have to see how things played out, there was no attack that would make this any easier. He would talk to Jon about it later. Right now this was something he didn’t want to share for risk of making it disappear. 

He came across Drake as he went inside the manor. Remembering Marinette's earlier request he stopped his brother.

“Drake, Marinette wanted to double check your measurements when you were available.” He started, startling the sleep deprived vigilante.

“Oh, Yeah.” Drake began rubbing his eyes. “I can do that.” 

Damian shook his head but led him like a zombie to Marinette's room. Surprisingly the two encountered her on their walk there.

“Wow, nice timing Damian.” She smiled brightly. “I just finished talking to my friends. I can get Tim’s measurements done and we should be just in time for dinner.” Marinette then turned to Tim with concern. “Is he okay?”

Damian scanned his brother quickly. “I think he had about 4-5 hours last night so we probably have a good 36 before we need to be concerned. Don't worry Grayson and Alfred usually keep track of his sleep schedule.” Damian poked the man in the side. There was a slight reaction. “We might want to get him a bit of coffee so he doesn’t fall over though.”

Marinette nodded and detoured quickly to the kitchen. Moments later she returned with a cup of steaming black coffee. “I added some spices that should help him perk up. No sugar and a dash of cream.” She waved the cup in front of Drake who grabbed it and inhaled.

The man was quickly draining the fresh cup of coffee with a pleased hum. As he consumed the beverage Marinette and Damian guided him through the manor. 

They set him up quickly and Marinette pined the pants together as Damian made sure his idiotic brother didn't spill any coffee on the girl as she worked. When the pants were done and the coffee gone Marinette pinned the jacket pieces together over the slightly more awake man. 

Damian watched the girl work with fascination. She breezed through steps like he moved through sword stances, and with the same peace that he felt when painting. Though it was the third time he had watched her do this it was no less mesmerizing. 

When she was done she placed all of the pieces neatly as she had before, and gathered up her purse. “There, all done. Now I just need to cut the fabric for Tim’s suit and start putting the rest of the pieces together. Don't forget I need to see anything you plan on wearing with the suits to make sure that nothing clashes.” She said as the three walked down the hallway.

Both boys confirmed and Damian mentally noted to have Alfred help him gather the pieces to deliver to Marinette later that night. The older man was magical and would get it done with much less fumbling than any of the boys would achieve.

By the time they reached the family room where everyone was gathered, except for the notably absent Alfred and Sabine, Drake was wide awake and bushy tailed. Considering the man's usual tolerance for caffeine Damian had to conclude that Marinette had been correct about the spiced coffee’s properties. 

Listening in on the conversation Mr Dupain was having with Jagged Stone and Selina he discovered that Sabine was helping Alfred prepare one of her favorite traditional Chinese meals as thanks for letting them stay. Quickly Drake broke off to go talk to Todd and Grayson. Damian followed Marinette over to where Father was conversing with Penny.

The two adults were laughing about what Damian presumed to be Jagged and his father's college years. He could see how having a friend as wild as the rock star could have supported the media's perception of the wild playboy heir. Hearing the stories however, and seeing the honest enjoyment Father had in the stories spoke of how true the friendship was. By the way the man’s expression shifted to fondness at one of Penny’s stories Damian could only assume that handling the rockstar was something the two had in common.

Marinette also seemed amused by the stories. Though he could tell the girl quickly picked up on the similarities between the two adults' positions in their tales of the wild man child that was Jagged Stone. The public persona of Bruce Wayne did not fool the observant Parisian. 

When Marinette asked for clarification on one of the more wild stories only to receive a surprised expression from his father and fond amusement from Penny he came to a realization. 

“Marinette, do you follow any celebrity news?” He asked in bewilderment.

Penny laughed and Marinette looked a little sheepish. “Not really. I follow fashion gossip and music news. Kagami and Adrien share some about athletes but that's about it.” She seemed embarrassed. “Penny keeps telling me I need to be more aware since my work is so sought after and it could be important, but it gets a little dumb reading through all of the celebrity gossip when most of it is fake.”

Damian looked at the girl in awe. “So you had no idea who we were before you met us?” He clarified.

She looked a little offended. “I knew Wayne Enterprises was a big company and that Bruce was one of Jagged’s good friends. And I knew from Jagged that he had a lot of kids and their approximate ages, but that's about it.” Her unconcerned demeanor surprised him.

He stared at the girl in shock, his father seemed pleased and Penny appeared to be proud. Several moments passed before Father broke the silence.

“I think you broke Damian.” The man commented wryly. “It’s not often that we are able to encounter someone who doesn't know of or care about our status and reputations. I thank you for showing us this rare kindness.” 

Marinette seemed slightly saddened by this. “I’m sorry. One of my closest friends faces a similar challenge in Paris and I always regret that even I assumed things when I met him. It always angers me how people act just because they know who he is.” 

Damian placed his hand on her arm softly. When she looked up at him he spoke. “You treat him like a person, not an item, I am sure he cares more about that than any temporary mistakes. The past is something we leave behind, the present is what we do now and the future is unknown.” His words are soft as he recites the lesson he has learned the past few years.

The grateful smile that he receives warms his heart like his father's silent approval and Jon’s tight hugs. Damian returns the expression softly, his features unfamiliar with the motion. He maneuvers her hand into the crook of his arm and keeps it there even when they walk into the dining room. His arm is only removed when he moves to pull out the Angels seat at the table this time next to Selina near the head of the table.

Alfred and Sabine proudly serve the family with a homemade meal of traditional delicacies. The woman herself is seated next to her husband near Alfred as the three discussed their favorite recipes and tricks. 

Damian had to admit the food was quite delicious, Marinette explained each dish and how it was made and it's origins. She spoke of how her family had been experimenting with other cultures' food recently for her friends. When asked if she could make middle eastern dishes she smiled.

“We’ve been working on a few for Kagami along with some traditional Japanese foods. She traveled a lot when she was younger and those were some of her favorites.” The bright smile was almost blinding. “If you have any specific requests I can add them to the list. Maman usually looks up different versions before we try anything.” 

“I’ll get back to you on that one.” He replies before allowing her to turn into a conversation with Selina. 

The conversation between the two girls somehow shifts to puns of all things. Specifically they are discussing cat puns. Marinette knows quite a few in french and shares them with the out of costume feline. Damian resigns himself to having to listen to them during patrol later.

The meal is concluded swiftly and unlike last night their guests conveniently take their leave. Marinette to work on the suits and the adults to have some quiet time. Apparently the four had gone to several appointments for the wedding during the day and were exhausted. 

Once the Wayne family was sure that their guests were tucked away they began preparations for their night time excursions. It had been determined before the arrival of their guests that at least two people would need to remain in the Cave or the manor to keep an eye on them and defer any suspicions. 

Agent A was of course not normally in the field and would remain. If available Oracle would remain in the BatCave too, though the girls would not be arriving at the manor until the next day when they would officially meet their guests. Since the girls shared their own apartment across town they would be more easily able to conduct patrols without issue. For tonight Nightwing would also remain in the Cave running com’s. Babs was out to dinner with the Commissioner and wouldn't be available for technical support. 

The family readied for patrol quickly and were out on the streets of Gotham. Robin steered his motorcycle through the buildings with practiced eais. He wondered if he should use his bike to take Marinette to the fabric store in the morning.

His distraction was quickly interrupted though. 

“Robin, report.” Batman’s voice came over the coms. 

“All clear on my route.” He responded. “Anything interesting from Arkham?” Robin queried.

“Nothing new in the guards reports.” Nightwing answered, accompanied by the clicking of keys. “You got any new info from the Sirens Cat-Woman?” 

“Recently, no. My girls have their area on a tight lock, but they are a little concerned that someone is getting a little too interested in the shelter they set up.” Cat-Woman purred.

“Shit.” Red Hood cursed. “Might want to up that suspicion. My sources in Crime Ally say someones been sniffing around to start up another trafficking ring.” 

“I’ve got the same Hood.” Red Robin chimed in. “Chatter at the Docks says someone is working on sending out some expensive cargo. I give you three guesses, the first two don't count.”

“Cut the chatter.” Batman ordered. Robin wanted to snicker at the exasperation under the rough tone. “Anything concrete?” 

A new voice joined the party. “I know we’re a little late but Black Bat and I stopped by Ivy and Harleys shelter along with a few others.” The unusual seriousness in Spoiler’s voice said plenty but she continued. “Some of the women in each shelter told us the same thing. They’re being watched, for at least a week now.” 

“We weren’t in costume but the watchers weren’t there when we were.” Black Bat pitched in. 

The silence on the coms spoke volumes.

“Cat, put a call in to the Sirens. I want to make sure they have eyes on their center. Hopefully that can discourage action at that location.” Batman started. “Hood, ask around Crime Ally. See if any of the homeless describe anything similar to what Spoiler said. Black Bat, Spoiler, take the patrol in the party district. Keep an eye on the patrons and keep an eye out for something out of the ordinary. Robin, the shopping district should be closing soon. Make sure there's no unusual activity. I’ll meet Red Robin at the Docks and see if we can't convince someone to give us a little more information on this shipment.”

Red Hood snickered. “Convince, nice one B. Don’t you mean scare the piss out of.” 

Robin grinned, it was an accurate analysis. “Ahh, but Hood isn't that your job. After all, you're mugs the ugliest.” 

Laughter filled the channel. “Excuse me, one rude. Two, did Demon Spawn make a joke?” Red Hood sputtered out. “Please tell me I’m not the only one who heard that.”

“Nope, that happened.” Spoiler said with a pop. “Did we miss something?”

“Tch.” Robin let out. Here it comes.

“Baby Bat has a crush.” Nightwing sang out with pride. 

Robin cringed. His brother was far too pleased about this entire thing. “It’s not a crush.” He argued.

“Then it's love.” The older vigilante drawled. “You love her, you wanna hug her, you wanna kiss her.” The teasing lith was going to get him a punch when Robin got back to the Cave. 

“Who?” Black Bat asked.

“The designer that came with B’s buddy.” Red Hood answered. “Tiny little thing. Totally fits our theme, except her folks are awesome. Like fictional levels of awesome. Her mom helped Agent A cook dinner.” 

“She made coffee and I swear it was magic. I feel so awake.” Red Robin gushed with Batman grumbling in the background.

“It was spices.” Robin corrected. Magic, right. 

“Okay cut the chatter. You can meet the poor girl tomorrow.” Batman cut them off.

With a sigh of relief Robin parked his bike in a crevice behind a dumpster and grappled up to a rooftop. He took in the fading light and the Gotham skyline. He really loved this city sometimes, he heard a scuffle below his perch, and sometimes he hated this city.

Two men were trying to attack a middle aged woman. Trying being the operative term. Though one of the men had a knife the woman was holding both of them off with her purse and had a few bags of groceries at her feet. 

Not waiting to see if the woman would be successful in her improvisation Robin drew his sword. The woman was smirking as she thwacked the men and moved to put a little distance between her and her attackers. It presented him a perfect opening to attack.

As soon as his feet touched the sidewalk his blade was a blur. He flipped the armed man's jacket over his head and covered the knife before kicking him into a nearby mailbox. He then used the other man's momentum to send him over his head crashing into his companion. The problem quickly taken care of Robin restrained them with the ties all of the Bat’s carried and confiscated the man’s knife.

Robin frisked both of the would be muggers thoroughly. “Tch. Not even smart enough to carry any backups.” He muttered. A dry chuckle sounded behind him and he spun, sword coming to rest right under the woman's chin. 

The woman simply smiled kindly, knowingly. With surprise Robin realized that he recognized her. This woman was the one who ran the fabric store where they had taken Marinette the day before. He thought her name had started with a K. Katrina, Robin recalled. Katrina moved the blade down with a finger gently before Robin started and quickly sheathed the sharp blade.

“I’m sorry, I was startled.” Robin apologized.

Katrina chuckled again. “No need to apologize little one.” She accepted his help gathering her bags with a gentle smile. “You are a warrior. It is who you are and the path you’ve chosen to embrace in your own way.” 

Robin stared at the woman. “Who are you?” He asked. As a civilian he may not be able to ask, but as one of the cities vigilantes he most certainly would.

Another laugh. “You may call me Katrina. Though I suspect that is not what you mean.” Her eyes sparkled in amusement. “Do not fret, child. I am not one of the meta’s your Bat protects against. I am simply an old woman set on putting to right old wrongs.” 

“You don't seem that old to me.” He says, knowing his mask will convey his raised brow.

“Of all people you should know looks can be deceiving.” Is the amused response. A chill runs down his spine at the reminder. “My apologies.” She corrects herself. 

“What business do you have with Gotham?” With me, is what he wants to say.

Katrina smiles again. “To give a little nudge here and there is all. Sometimes the world needs a little help to straighten itself out.” She waves her hand at him, as if to encompass the entirety of his vigilantism. “For now I will leave you with this. Some that you fight are more alike than you think.” He could infer she meant the Sirens, which okay he has been skeptical. “Also, the shelter two blocks away from Crime Ally has been getting funding cuts lately. You might want to take a look at that.” And with that the woman headed in the direction of her shop, and presumably to her home. 

Robin followed the woman for several blocks until she reached her building. She sent a smile in the direction of his position in the shadows before entering. It was several moments before Robin gathered himself to radio in.

“Hood, Nightwing. I have a source that says the shelter two blocks away from the Ally has been taking some funding cuts. Can you confirm?” He holds his breath.

“Your source is solid Robin. The records for the place show it getting hit pretty badly for the last few months. Their security budget has taken the worst of it to spare the other essentials.” Nightwing replied moments later. “How’d you get such good info Baby Bat?”

“Saved someone from a mugging. Speaking of there's two unconscious thugs wrapped up for the GCPD.” Robin gave the location to Nightwing.

“Just arrived at the shelter. Definitely some subpar security here. If our traffickers are smart this’ll be the one they hit first.” Red Hood confirmed what Robin had suspected. Katrina had given him valuable and relevant intel without being asked. He just didn’t know how she did it.

“I’m going to head back to the Cave. The shopping district is clear, and I have a little research to do.” Robin said before heading back to his bike. The boy wonder wanted to do a little digging into the shopkeeper before he retired for the night.

*****

Nothing, absolutely nothing. Sure he found bank statements and a current address, above her store, but nothing useful. And there was practically nothing prior to the last two and a half years. Katrina’s citizenship was originally from Tibet, though she had a valid American citizenship as of two years ago. Her accent wasn’t from either county though it more closely resembled Tibet, and she knew Cantonese. 

Robin was stumped. The store owner had contacts with high end fabric suppliers and some local fashion companies but no history. He put his head in his hands having removed his domino mask after settling in at the computer. The lady was far too informed for his peace of mind, but yet he was cautious about informing his father. Somehow he knew the woman was not a threat to them. Not that Katrina wasn’t dangerous, but his instinct was that she would not cause harm. 

Robin had several pictures from the woman's file pulled up on the BatComputer when Agent A walked in. He leaned back in his chair to stare at the screen.

“Now what might you be doing young Master Wayne?” The man asked as he approached. His gaze fixed to one of the photos on the screen, a picture of the shop when it first opened. There was a design on the window in temporary paint that wasn’t there when Robin visited. It was also a part of the logo on the store's website.

“This is the store I’m taking Marinette back to tomorrow.” Robin shared. Of all his family Alfred was the one he trusted to help without judgment. “I ran into the owner tonight, saved her from a mugging attempt. She’s the one who gave me the tip about the shelter. There were some other things about her that confused me, but I don’t think she’s a danger.” 

Alfred traced a finger over the design on the screen, he seemed lost, distracted by the center part of the logo. “I think, Master Damian, that there is far more good in the world than we have had the fortune to witness.” With that Robin was left staring after him in confusion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So Katrina knows things, who’s surprised? I’ll take a show of hands… Also This story was waiting for plot when it jumped in my face with it's hand raised screaming mememememe. Then I looked at it and said, perfect you actually fit. So yeah plot will now officially be a thing even though it has been here all along. Shhhhhh. Don't tell anyone, I totally have a plan besides fluff fluff and more fluff. Also Alfred always knows things, this should never be surprising.


	6. Fabric shopping and Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The return to the fabric store is nie. Marinette faces more flirting from Damian.

Marinette was sure her reaction to Damian offering to drive her to the fabric store on his motorcycle had been a bit much. Sure she was excited, but squealing in the poor boy's ear as she tackled him in an excited hug hadn't been her best plan. Before the two got ready to leave her Papa had reminded her that the five of them were going out to dinner tonight as a family. Marinette had thanked her Papa for the reminder with a kiss on the cheek before running upstairs to change. 

When Marinette had come back downstairs she was wearing durable black jeans and ankle boots. She also had on a flowy green top and the Chat Noir inspired leather jacket she had made after Adrien requested a Ladybug one for himself. The matched set was one of her favorite projects. Understated designs in mostly black with colored trim and accents. She had also put their hero signatures on the breast pockets and stylized patterns on the back. Her grandma Gina had been very proud, and Gabriel Agreste couldn't argue with the good publicity of his son and closest friend supporting their local heroes. 

She was braiding her hair back with a matching green hair tie as she walked down the stairs. Marinette was so distracted by her own excitement that she almost bowled over Jason as he was turning a corner.

“Wow Pixie Pop. Where's the fire?” The taller man asked as he steadied her.

Marinette breathed heavily in excitement. “Damian said we could take his motorcycle to the store.” At this point she was practically vibrating in excitement.

Jason just laughed. “Okay Pixie Pop. Just watch where you're going.” He let her go with a pat on the head as he continued chuckling. Marinette raced away with a wave and bright smile.

Damian had been waiting outside next to a gorgeous motorcycle. There was one helmet on the handlebars of the bike and another perched atop the two-up seat. Both helmets were black as was the bike. When she bounced down the steps Damian handed her the helmet off the seat and a pair of small gloves he had been holding. 

“I hope they fit okay. Pretty sure these were the smallest ones we had.” Damian teased as he checked to make sure her helmet was strapped on correctly. Putting on his own helmet and gloves he got on the bike and gestured for Marinette to get on behind him. In no time the two teens were racing out of the driveway and into Gotham city. 

Marinette had her arms wrapped around Damian as he maneuvered the bike easily through the city streets. She leaned her head back so she could see the tops of the buildings. There was a slight bit of wistfulness for patrolling regularly through the Paris skyline. It had only been a few days but she was finding herself restless. She wasn’t always the one on patrol but it was rare that she took several days off in a row. Nonetheless, Ladybug was supposed to be in Paris. If the spotted heroine was noted in America when people thought she remained in Paris there might be issues. 

She was also fairly certain Alya had mentioned during one of her rants about superheroes that the Gotham hero was not a fan of powered individuals operating in the city. No, Marinette would play it safe and keep her feet on the ground unless she had to sneak back to Paris for an akuma attack. 

It didn’t take very long for Damian to get them to the fabric store. Now that Marinette was paying more attention to the shop she actually took notice of its name. 

**Balanced Bolts**

Was it's proud declaration. Marinette laughed under her breath at the pun. She made a note to tell her Kitty that one eventually. She could also see the store's logo in the corner of the sign. She shook her head at the obvious nod to the miraculous and the Order of the Guardians in the design.

Getting off the bike she handed her helmet to Damian with a smile. “That was amazing Dami thank you so much.” She gushed.

The boy replied with a dry chuckle. “No problem Angel, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” Marinette blushed slightly at the nickname. He had used it several times already and she kinda liked it. “Go ahead inside, I’ll lock up the bike.” He waved her inside.

She smiled and went to the door, folding the gifted gloves into her jacket pockets as she approached. Marinette opened the door easily and heard the cheerful chime of the bell announcing her entrance.

“Hello Marinette, I wasn’t sure I’d see you again so soon.” Katrina's voice came from behind a row of fabric.

“I forgot to get one of the fabrics I needed for my projects.” Marinette replied sheepishly as she walked behind the row to see the woman. 

Katrina was bent over shelving some new bolts of fabric. She laughed at Marinette's tone. “Never-mind, you are always welcome here Marinette.” The woman caught sight of the turtle bracelet that Marinette was still wearing and gave a soft smile. “I see you brought a wise little friend today.”

Marinette shrugged noncommittally. “Damian tagged along, not sure if he's quite old enough to be wise.” 

The woman laughed. “Don’t put too much faith into numbers such as age my dear. After all you are quite wise yourself are you not.” Katrina stood up and stretched. “Although I am glad that you had help to get you there. Learning by trial and error is never an enjoyable experience as many of our kind have discovered.” 

Marinette nodded at her words. “My Master tried his hardest, but you are not incorrect. Having support is an important aspect of growth.” She had loved Master Fu like a grandfather, but she was not unaware that he had faults. 

“I am glad that you have been wise enough to seek help and accept counsel.” Katrina put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t fret, the forces we serve to balance are quite persistent on their own. With a little push the world will be set to right once again.” 

Marinette wiped tears from the corner of her eyes. It was a relief to have an adult with knowledge that wasn’t working against her. “ **_Thank you Master Katrina, your words are a blessing_ **.” 

The older Guardian gave her a gentle smile and led her back through the shelves. “Enough of that. Let’s see if we can’t find what you're looking for.” The two women look through the bolts of fabric together for several minutes before they are interrupted. 

“Marinette.” Damian called as the store's bell rings.

“In the back.” She replied smiling at the concern in the boy's voice. In moments the tall teen was standing at the end of the row over the two women sitting on the floor looking over several bolts of dark red fabric and one of white. Marinette held the white up to show him. “What do you think for the undershirt? I was originally thinking red to match the lining, but I could also use white to compliment the streak in his hair.” She was frustrated over the choice.

“Go with the red. Todd tends to ignore the streak.” Damian replies causing Marinette to put the white fabric back on the shelf with a nod. 

“Thank you, Dami.” Is her absent minded reply. She looks between the red fabrics before pulling out her phone for the picture she took the day before. After several agonizing minutes she decides on a fabric. “This one. Now I just need to pick out some buttons.”

“I have a pretty good selection over here.” Katrina declared before picking herself up from the floor.

Damian offered his arm to Marinette before helping her off the ground along with the new bolt of fabric. “Katrina I’m going to need enough of this for two shirts and a pocket square.”

“Two shirts?” Damian asks.

“Yeah, don’t tell Jason yet but I’m planning on making it so the jacket can be rolled up to three quarter length. He won’t be able to use that feature for every event, but for the wedding it will be fine. I’m making a short sleeve and a long sleeve shirt so that he can swap them out depending on the event. Trust me, rolling up layers is a pain.” Marinette started looking through buttons as she explained.

“That is very impressive Angel. You caught on to that much of Todd’s personality in less than two days?” His words sent warm breath down her neck. 

“Oh ah.” Marinette’s brain stalled for a moment. “Ah, Jason kept reaching for his sleeves during his fitting.” She pulled out a few buttons. “My designs are made to make people feel comfortable.” Her fingers fiddled with the tiny buttons. “It’s one of my favorite parts of my job.”

Damian’s hand touched her shoulder softly. “You’re very good at it from what I’ve seen. And I’m fairly certain there will be much more evidence to support that opinion.” 

“Thank you.” Was barely whispered as she stood up with her handful of selected buttons. Katrina was watching the two’s interaction with a soft smile. Marinette blushed.

“I’ll just get this fabric washed if you want to take a look around again.” Katrina said, taking the fabric from Marinette's arm’s and leaving the two alone.

Marinette stood awkwardly in front of Damian. She shuffled her feet back and forth a little. Tikki pressed reassuringly against her leg through the side of her purse. She took a deep breath.

“Could you show me.” Damian abruptly started. “The fabric, I mean. What you see in it, what makes you want to use it for a project and why.” He seems uncharacteristically shy and all Marinette can do is nod silently and pull him along with her into one of the rows of fabric. 

They walk through the fabric as Marinette describes the different types and their properties. She explains what she would use each for and what makes some of the fabrics more unique. Damian listens avidly and asks questions when he needs clarification. The two slip back and forth between french and english as Marinette encounters things which she has not had to translate before. It is comfortable and soft between the two. 

Once Marinette thinks enough time has passed she leads them back to the front. Katrina is sitting behind the register. Marinette's fabric and buttons are already folded and stacked on the counter. Katrinas only reaction to their appearance is a knowing smile. Marinette feels Damian stiffen slightly beside her but decides not to draw attention to it.

“Thank you again Katrina. Your help was invaluable.” Marinette smiles at the woman. Their purchase is rung up and Marinette hands over the card Bruce gave her at breakfast. 

“You are very welcome my dears.” Katrina smiled. “Both of you are so sweet to watch. Very few have what you both have and are forming. Hang onto it.” Her words are benign but Marinette can sense their hidden depth. Even though she doesn't understand their meaning yet.

Damian stiffens again. “We will.” He says dismissively.

Katrina only chuckles. “Very well.” She finishes ringing them up. “Here’s a little wisdom from me to you. Trust is like a bridge, and it is necessary in order to reach your destination.” She smiles sadly. “You’ll find the metaphor is more than applicable for many situations, good or bad.” 

Marinette nodded in understanding and took the bag from Katrina’s outstretched hand. Taking Damians hand, he seemed to be distracted glaring at the woman for some reason, she pulled the two outside. Once they reached the bike he seemed to snap to attention and helped Marinette tuck their purchases into the motorcycles saddlebags.

Damian turned to her as he handed over her helmet. “Would you like to stop for lunch before we go back to the manor? I can show you some of the local places.” 

Marinette grinned. “I would love that. Thank you Dami.” 

“Of course _habibti_.” The boy said before a faint flush rose to his cheeks and he coughed. He quickly put his own helmet on and got them both on the bike.

Marinette was pretty sure that word had been Arabic. She made a mental note to ask Kagami when she got the chance, or wait for Dami to tell her himself. Probably whichever came first.

They drove to a tiny little cafe away from the larger tourist centers. Damian helped Marinette take off her helmet and quickly locked up the bike before taking her hand to lead her into the cafe. It was comfortable in a way that reminded her of her parents bakery. The menu leaned more towards specialty soups, salads and sandwiches. There was also a drink menu off to the side. As Marinette read over the menu she became a little confused. Then she looked at the chalk artwork drawn alongside the menu items and started to laugh.

All of the menu items had Gotham specific names based on the local heroes and villains, and a few others must be other local celebrities. They were very clever and she poked Damian in the side.

“You have to help me bring Adrien here next week. It has heroes and puns, he will be in heaven.” She kept poking him until he reacted.

“Stop that. And they’re vigilantes in Gotham, not heroes. The Bats are a little touchy about it.” Damian said as he moved them up in line.

“Why do you call them the Bats when they have Birds too?” Marinette asked in confusion before continuing. “That would be like saying Paris has Bugs. Yes we have Bugs, but one of them is a manipulative shithead butterfly. I understand in Paris we summarize to the Cat and Bug team for Paris, they were there first, but does Gotham narrow it down to a singular animal?” 

Someone in front of them laughed. “Here Here. Respect for the Robins.” They said before reaching around and fist-bumping Marinette. 

Damian facepalmed, “I don’t know they just do. They’re the Bat Family, sometimes people call them the Bats and the Birds.” 

Marinette nods in satisfaction. ‘Good’, headliner heroes, or vigilantes, don’t need to get all the credit.

Damian seemed lost in thought as they approached the counter. The barista saw him and nodded before doing a double take at Marinette standing beside them. The college age girl’s stare narrowed on their joined hands before she gave a gleeful squeak and smiled at them. Damian let out a long sigh.

“Marjorie is going to be so sad she missed our favorite little Ice Prince out on a date.” The girl teased Damian with glee. Marinette snickered at the poor boy’s resigned expression. 

“We could leave.” He deadpans. It seems to be an empty threat if the girls laugh is anything to go by.

“So I’m guessing the usual for Mr Wayne of the sour expression. What can the ‘Only In Gotham’ cafe get for you, little Sunshine?” The barista starts writing down an order. 

“Ah can I get the Red Hood au Late, and the Not Poisoned, Ivy Salad?” Marinette asked shyly. Damian let out a choked laugh next to her for some reason.

“Okay so I have an Iced Prince Mocha with the This Sandwich is a Joker Bomb, and a Red Hood au Late with the Not Poisoned, Ivy Salad.” The barista rings up their total as Marinette giggles at Damian.

“ _So you have your own coffee?_ ” She teases in french. So does she, well as Ladybug, but Dami doesn’t need to know that.

Damian grumbles at the two girls giggling at his expense, but he puts all of the change in the tip jar. Marinette squeezes his arm to let him know she's not fooled.

Once their orders are called, “Two meals for the Ice Prince.” The two take a seat towards the back of the cafe. Marinette is very pleased with her order and hums pleasantly as she takes another sip of her coffee. As the two continue eating Damian taps his finger on her hand.

“What was that stuff you mentioned about Paris?” He asked.

“Oh, sorry I probably shouldn't have used that kind of language. Hawkmoth has just been getting more annoying lately. That and I always get mad when the people of Paris downgrade the rest of the Heroes. Just because Ladybug leads doesn’t make Chat Noir or the rest of the team any less important.” Marinette kept her temper down with practiced control.

“That right there.” Damian stops her. “Your saying Paris has heroes, and not just one but a whole team.” He seems blind sided and Marinette is bewildered.

“Yeah, for almost four years now. The main two appeared right after Hawkmoth first attacked.” Marinette took the last bite of her salad before wrapping both hands around her drink for warmth. “Did you not know?” 

Marinette was unsure of how much the rest of the world knew about the situation in Paris. At this point it was looking like absolutely nothing. Master Fu had discouraged her from asking for outside help when she first brought it up. After she had to take up the mantle of Great Guardian she realized his point. If a trained and already powered individual became akumatized then it would be very difficult for Ladybug and her team to defeat them. But she hadn’t realized the rest of the world was completely unaware of the situation.

“Not at all, how much damage has there been?” Damian was serious, analytical.

Marinette frowned. “At this moment in time, probably nothing physical. Over the course of the last four years though.” She paused. “I’m pretty sure every citizen of Paris has died at least three to five times on average, some much more. In fact the main damage is emotional.”

“How is that possible?” Damian put his almost finished sandwich aside.

“No one really understands how their powers work.” Marinette began. “The heroes and villains are both powered by magical objects called miraculous. Hawkmoth is powered by the butterfly. He rarely appears in public but instead uses magical butterflies to corrupt people and give them powers. Any negative emotion can be targeted, hence the overwhelming emotional damage to the people of Paris.” 

“Okay, I’m not saying that makes any sense to me, but okay.” Damian takes a slow sip of his coffee and Marinette follows. “What about the deaths? How does that happen?” 

“Short answer is Magic and Ladybug. Whatever damage is done by the battle, once she catches the butterfly that corrupted the person, she reverses it. Everything goes back to how it was before more or less. She reverses death, destruction, everything with her Miraculous Ladybug cure. She also has the power to summon an object to help her in the fight. Her first partner Chat Noir can destroy anything with a touch. Both powers they only use once before they have to leave the battle to recharge.” Marinette breaths in the coffee for comfort. She had to be careful what she said.

“You said there are other heroes?” Damian prompted. He seemed horrified and fascinated at the same time.

“Yes, and one more villain.” Marinette looked down. “Mayura targets people the same way using the peacock miraculous. Although she creates animated companions called sentimonsters with feathers.” She took a breath. “At first Ladybug brought in temporary heroes as backup. One of them was compromised, had a panic attack and Hawkmoth got to her. It was Chloe.” She clenched her hands, still angry for the pain her friend had been forced to suffer. “Somehow the identities of all of the temporary wielders were revealed in that fight. Ladybug was forced to retire them and eventually chose new permanent wielders for some of the miraculous.”

“Who?” Damian prompts softly. 

“You can see them fight online, the blog is the Ladyblog. To summarize it's Honey Bee, Basilisk and Azhdaha. Their powers are probably explained better on the blog, but I know the Bee can temporarily paralyze people, and the Dragon is elemental.” Marinette knew more info was online, but she was about at the end of how much she wanted to personally explain.

“And what is the villain’s motive? He has to have a reason right.” Damian asked.

“Oh he does. He wants Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous. Ladybug was videoed one time explaining to a reporter precisely why that was a bad idea. Apparently together the two can be used to make a wish, but the balance in order for such a wish to be granted is catastrophic. As in Pompeii, Atlantis, or the Black Death levels of bad.” Marinette rubbed her hands together.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that Marinette. But why did no-one ask for outside help?” 

Marinette laughed a little. “I was just thinking about that actually. I’m pretty sure part of it is the danger of someone trained getting akumatized. But I actually didn’t realize the rest of the world had no idea the dangers in Paris. I mean we still get tourists so I’m wondering why I didn’t but still.”

“Actually, I get your point about risks, you’re right.” Damian's hand was set over hers. “The idea of an evil hero is certainly a frightening one.” He patted her hand. “Let’s get back. I’m sure you would like to get some sewing done before you go out with your family.” Marinette perked up at that and let Damian help her clear off the table before he escorted them to the bike for the drive back to the manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So Damian knows about the Paris ‘situation’ now. Katrina is still mysterious. And Marientte is confused about how No One else knew about Hawkmoth. This chapter has a little bit more plot mixed into our cuteness.  
> Also for the Red Hood Au Late, it's based on a Cafe Au Late which is steamed milk and brewed coffee. In this case I would imagine it's also sweetened here and made with whatever Red Hood’s favorite coffee is.


	7. Friendly Ambush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the BatGirls!!! Also Damian has feelings about what he just found out, and Marinette is concerned that he apparently had no clue in even the vaguest sense that Paris even had their own active heroes.

Damian fought with himself over what to focus on as he zipped down the streets of Gotham. Focus on Marinette's warmth against his back and her arms holding tightly around him, or focus on the fact that apparently the same girl had been living in a city with a supervillain who targeted any negative emotions. It was a close call which was worse, especially considering how fast he was taking the bike down the route to the manor. He couldn’t believe that the Justice League had been clueless about this for almost four full years. It wasn’t even in question that Marinette's words were the truth. Damian knew lies and liars, he was raised by them. Her emotions had been bald, exposed. Considering what she had said Marinette must have had some exposure to therapy or proper emotional coping mechanisms, Jon convinced him to talk to someone a while back so he recognised some of the techniques. She was also incredibly strong, because if he knew anything it was what a person looked like when they were broken. Marinette was tired and pissed as hell, but she was not broken or beaten. This would definitely be something to confront with his father, especially after seeing only a bit of a clip on the blog Marinette showed him. He would look into this blog and confront his family at the first opportunity.

By some sort of luck Damian was able to get the two of them back to the manor without incident. He was grateful that he had regained at least some of his composure during the drive as he helped Marinette off the bike with a smile. The girl was simply too happy after the simple ride through the city. But then he supposed she would have gotten used to emotional whiplash and skilled at embracing the smallest bit of positivity. 

He truly would have liked to wrap her up in a blanket and put Alfred the Cat in her lap for extensive cuddling. He was certain he had read that a cat’s purr was good for emotional health or some such. But instead they were ambushed.

“Baby Wayne!!!!” Came the easily identified squeal. 

“Dear God no.” Damian muttered. He was sure Marinette heard him based on the choked giggle he heard behind him. Quickly positioning himself between his Angel and the oncoming assault Damian took up a defensive position just before Brown came hurtling around the corner.

The excitable girl thankfully brings herself up short before bowling into the two startled teens. “Oh my goodness, Jason was right, she totally fits the bill.” She manuvers herself around him to hold her hand out to Marinette. “Hi I’m Stephanie Brown, it's so nice to meet the girl who got Baby Wayne to act like a real boy.” 

Marinette seems a little bewildered, if not frightened. “Um, okay. I guess it's nice to meet you, though I’m sure Damian is a perfectly functional human being without anyone's help.” The way she immediately defends him makes him warm inside. “I’m Marinette.” 

Brown is practically vibrating in excitement. Thankfully Cass chooses to make her presence known then. The other girl waves them toward the manor. “Alfred said you ate, but Babs is waiting.” 

Damian sighs. “Of course. Thank you Cass. If you will please direct Brown towards the manor as well.” 

Cass only tilts her head slightly in acknowledgment before giving the other girl a deep stare. Unsurprisingly Brown moves, though reluctantly.

Marinette is smiling at him. “What?” He asks. “That was Cassandra.”

“Yeah, I figure she's the one you mentioned when you spoke to Luka. That wasn’t why I’m smiling though.” Her grin got bigger. “You called her by her first name. You only do that for Alfred.” 

“One, I also use the first names of Selina and your mother. Two Alfred, enough said, and Three, Cassandra is my least obnoxious sibling.” Damian defends.

“I think it’s cute Dami. She’s your favorite sister.” She was smiling brightly as she grabbed his hand to tugg him cheerfully towards the manor.

Immediately upon entering the manor Damian spotted Barbara Gordan wheeling over to them. The former BatGirl fixed her gaze on them, specifically Marinette who was turned towards Damian as she pulled him through the doorway. 

“Gordon.” Damian started flatly.

“Damian.” The woman responded with a raised brow. “Are you going to properly introduce us to your friend?” 

Marinette giggled as he sighed in resignation. “This is Marinette Dupain Cheng. She is a fashion designer and is here with Father’s friend and her family for the wedding.” 

Gordan certainly cut an imposing figure as she examined them. “It is a pleasure to meet you Marinette, I hope that your stay hasn’t been too chaotic so far.” 

Marinette stepped away from him to greet the other women. “It is a pleasure to meet you, all of you. I was beginning to worry that I wouldn't get to meet you.” Her bright smile causes Brown to look away in shock, and Cass to stare wide eyed. “I’m sorry though I caught Stephanies and Cassandras names but I think I missed yours. At this point I’m fairly certain that your first name isn’t Gordon.” The girl teased Damian. 

Gordon smiled. “I like you.” She began. “My name is Barbara Gordon, or Babs for short.”

“It is wonderful to meet you Barbara. And thank you for the concern, my stay has been absolutely wonderful.” His Angel said, moving to shake all three of the girls hands gently.

Damian found himself smiling wistfully as Marinette drew the two younger girls into a brief conversation about fashion and music. They moved into the front sitting room and left Damian with Gordon in the foyer. 

“She seems good for you Damian. Dick filled me in on last night, he’s proud that you're pursuing something that makes you happy.” Gordan says softly. 

“Tch.” Damian doesn't really understand Grayson and Gordan’s relationship. “I’d rather everyone minded their own business.”

Gordan laughs. “In this family, good luck with that.” 

“By the way I found out something concerning from Marinette. I have to look further into the details but there appear to have been heroes fighting a villian in Paris for the past four years. She gave me a source to look into, but it appears that the situation is more complicated than a simple meta committing petty crimes.” He frowns and is mirrored by the tech expert.

“Okay, get back to me as soon as you know more and I’ll give you a hand. I trust your instincts about this, gather your intel and we can brief the family later.” She replies. 

Damian nods in response before moving into the other room to watch Marientte interact with his adopted sisters. 

Marientte appeared to be showing them some videos on her phone. From the sound of guitar music coming out of the speakers he assumed that she was sharing some of her friend Luka’s music. Brown seemed relaxed and calm now where she hadn’t before. And more surprisingly Cass had her eyes closed and was listening intently to the music. Damian remembered what the boy had said on the phone about communicating through music and wondered what the song the girls were hearing was saying. He was reluctant to disrupt the peace of the room but also knew that Marinette would want to get some progress done before she needed to get ready for dinner.

“Angel, you mentioned getting some work done before you had to leave.” He interrupted softly. 

Nevertheless Marinette was immediately spurred into action. “Oh my gosh, you’re right. Thank you Dami.” She gathered up her things quickly. “It was so nice to meet you guys but I have to go start sewing if I’m going to get these suits done.” 

Damian smiled at the girls flustered actions. “Alfred should have dropped off all of the other pieces that you wanted to see while we were out.” He said. 

Her answering smile was bright as she sped out of the room. Though she didn't leave without giving the traditional  _ la bise  _ cheek kisses. By the time Damian realized what had happened the girl was long gone and he was slightly flushed.

When he turned to his sisters they were all grinning at him with varying degrees of smugness. “Not a word.” He hissed before escaping the room. Most likely the entire family would know within the hour. Pushing that thought out of his mind he headed to his room to take a look at the blog Marinette had directed him to. 

It would take quite a lot of time to get through four years worth of information for any pertinent information. Overall it would be a good distraction from the compounding emotions and his nosey family members undesired input.

*****POV Switch*****

Marinette had raced back to her room with her new fabric quickly after leaving the sitting room. She couldn't believe that she had actually kissed him, on the cheek in la bise, but still. As if to compound her impending breakdown into embarrassment her phone started ringing with the ringtone she had set for Chloe. If she didn't answer the girl would just call back, the Bee always knew when the ‘Hive’ was in distress. Marinette grabbed her bluetooth headset before connecting the call as she let the kwami’s out and began shifting around her supplies. 

_ “Hey Chloe.” _ She began.

“ _ Don’t you ‘hey Chloe’ me Maribear. I am not Adrikins, you can’t fool me that easily. _ ” The heiress cut her off. 

“ _ Rude. _ ” Came the commentary in the background. 

“ _ Also you are on speakerphone. I stole Adrikins for a day of pampering _ .” She could practically hear her friends eyes roll. “ _ The line is secure, I double checked before the call connected. _ ”

Marinette let out a sigh of relief. That was good to know. “ _ Okay first, if I tell you no screaming. _ ” She waited for the hum. “ _ I kissed Damian, on the cheek _ .” 

Chloe started laughing while Adrien cheered. “ _ I’m proud of you Maribug. _ ” Adrien started before he was interrupted. 

“ _ Nice to see you woman up Dupain Cheng. _ ” Which honestly was as good as a high five from Chloe.

“ _ Yeah, yeah. I’m about ready to die of embarrassment. I ran out of there right after, and three of his adopted sisters were there so yeah. _ ” Marinette said as she pinned some pieces together to sew.

Chloe started laughing again. Marinette wondered why her friends loved to laugh at her misery. “ _ Still Maribear, that took some guts. _ ” 

“ _ Thanks. I did have something I wanted to ask you about Bee. _ ” Her voice switched into Ladybug mode. 

“ _ Go for it Bug. _ ” Most of the amusement drained from Chloe’s voice.

“ _ What news of Hawkmoths attacks actually reaches out of Paris? I was talking to Damian at lunch and he had never heard about Hawkmoth or any of the Paris heroes _ .” Marinette stuck herself with a pin and cursed under her breath before correcting.

“ _ I will look into it Maribear. _ ” Chloe said without acknowledging the interruption. Most of her friends were used to the way Marinette could carry on a conversation while working on a project, and occasionally cursing.

“ _ Thank’s Chlo. _ ”

“ _ I'll leave you with Adrikins real quick while I go see what my Daddykins has to say about it. _ ” Chloe mocked before Marinette could hear the faint sound of the elevator. 

“ _ So Buginette I’m assuming you have some other reason than avoiding interrogation to get Chloe on a mission. _ ” Her Kitty drawled over the line.

“ _ Maybe. Remember when we talked about getting into contact with the temple? _ ” She started. 

“ _ Yeah, but then a bunch of books were sent to the bakery mysteriously so we decided against it. _ ” Adrien sassed. 

Yeah, that had been a little nerve racking. The books had appeared a few at a time for almost two months after she became the Guardian. “ _ Well I ran into one of the Masters from the temple. _ ”

“ _ Seriously? _ ” Adrien asks in excitement. “ _ How did it go, what happened, who are they? _ ”

“ _ Slow down Chaton. _ ” Marinette soothed as she moved over to the sewing machine with her pieces. “ _ Her name is Katrina. She runs a fabric store in Gotham called Balanced Bolts. _ ” She smiled at the expected laughter. Her Kitty did love his puns. “ _ She recognised me immediately and offered her support of my Guardianship and the actions we’ve taken in Paris. Wayzz remembers her from the temple. Katrina is pretty nice, if a bit cryptic. _ ” 

“ _ That’s awesome Mi-Lady. I look forward to meeting her too. _ ” Adrien said.

“ _ Of course Kitty. There's also a cafe that you're going to love I swear. _ ” Marinette starts to tease him. “ _ Damian took me there for lunch and the place immediately made me think of you. _ ”

“ _ Ooh, did you have a lunch date Princess? _ ” He asks, and Marinette blanches. She hadn’t meant to share that part of the story. “ _ Anything else to share with your bestest friend before the yellow menace returns? _ ” 

She grumbles, but if she doesn't tell him he’ll help Chloe get it out of her instead of protecting her. “ _ We drove to the city on his motorcycle. _ ” She mumbles out before tensing.

Adrien burst into hysterical giggles. “ _ Oh my God. This guys like your perfect type seriously. Bug I’m so happy for you, really. _ ” He finishes softly.

“ _ Thanks Adrien, he really is wonderful. I must have spent over thirty minutes talking about fabric and he paid attention the whole time I swear. _ ” She runs her fingers over the fabric she is sewing. Coincidently they are pieces of Damian's suit. 

“ _ I can’t wait to meet him for real Bug. _ ” Her friend starts. “ _ After all, I need to give him the shovel talk about going around with my best friend. _ ” 

Marinette starts to giggle. “ _ Thank you for the thought Kitty, but I can handle my own fights. _ ” 

Adrien sobers. “ _ I know you can Mi-Lady, but that doesn't mean you should have to all the time. _ ” 

After that the two talk about nonsense topics as Marinette works on her projects. Then their quiet is interrupted by the ding of the elevator.

_ “I can not believe that man. _ ” Chloe rants as soon as the doors open. “ _ Of all the brainless things that he could have done. It’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. _ ” Oh no, when Chloe broke out the ridiculous things were serious. 

“ _ What is it Chlo? What did your dad say? _ ” Adrien asked. 

“ _ After I asked several times to get a straight answer? Well honestly I was lucky this time that Audrey was there because after I brought it up she had the same question. _ ” Chloe huffed and Marinette could only guess that the girl had started pacing. “ _ He said that it was a Paris problem with a Paris solution and spreading it around would only ruin tourism. Granted after I stared him down he was able to spit out that it would also attract unsavory characters who would damage the local environment. That one is a little more valid at least. _ ” 

Marinette nodded to herself at that one and waited for Chloe to continue. 

“ _ He didn't even think about reaching out for the hero's opinions. Or about getting outside support for at the very least the structure of our emotional health system. _ ” Chloe was irate. “ _ I understand why you two never reached out to the Justice League Maribear, I really do. They aren’t known for being the best at first impressions with local heroes, and an akumatized hero is the last thing we want to face. _ ” Chloe's voice fades out.

“ _ That was not your fault Chloe. That demented butterfly took advantage of your emotions and distress. _ ” Marinette interrupted before ordering Adrien. “ _ Kitty give our Bee a hug for me. _ ” Marinette waits for her friends to calm down on the other end of the phone.

“ _ We’re back Maribug. _ ” Adrien says a while later, voice slightly rough with emotion. 

“ _ Thank you Adrien. Chlo, I’m sorry about your father, I promise we’ll schedule a meeting with the mayor's office right after we get back from the wedding. We need to get on top of this now before it gets out of hand. _ ” 

“ _ You’re right Maribear. It’s about time that Paris and the world understands what we stand for, and that we mean to stick around. People need to know that the miraculous and their holders shouldn't be underestimated or disregarded. _ ” Chloe sounded determined now, much improved from before.

“ _ Here here Bugs _ .” Adrien cheered. “ _ Honestly though, we might have been kids when this started, but we grew up a long time ago. It's time we showed people that. _ ” 

“ _ I love you guys. _ ” Marinette whispered into the phone.

“ _ We know Maribear, we love you too. _ ” Chloe whispered back.

“ _ I’ll let you guys go, it's probably getting late for you guys. _ ” Marinette listened to their farewells before hanging up the phone. The tears in her eyes welled up again. Tikki flew up from where she had been sitting conversing with Wayzz to hug her cheek. 

“ _ I’m so sorry Marinette. _ ” Tikki said. 

“ _ It’s not your fault Tikki. _ ” She soothed, wiping her eyes. “ _ It’s Hawkmoth's fault for starting all of this. Even if I wasn’t your chosen or the Guardian he would still be doing this and people would still suffer, including me. Being a part of the solution, being able to help is so much better than facing this helplessly. _ ” She hugged the small kwami. “ _ I would choose you and Ladybug every time, especially over being a civilian. _ ” She straightened up. “ _ Chloe was right, I don't think any of us could go back to being a civilian after what we’ve experienced. This is a part of who we are now. _ ” 

“ _ I am so proud of you Marinette. _ ” Tikki cried.

“ _ As am I. You may be a young Guardian but you are already surpassing many with far more training. Understanding the powers is one thing, but the core of the miraculous is another. _ ” Wayzz praised her. “ _ You have already begun to bring the Order of the Miraculous back into the world successfully. I have faith that you will continue to do so. _ ” 

“ _ Thank you both. _ ” Marinette gathered herself for several minutes before straightening. “ _ Okay, I have to get a little more of this done before I get ready for dinner. _ ” She says before turning back to her task with determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So I know this chapter was short and had a POV change and I apologise. I’ll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I had two scenes that were really small that I wanted to do from both of their perspectives. I hope it still turned out okay.   
> Also if you want to read my personal fixit for how miracle queen happened without losing all of the character growth Chloe went through you can read my fic The Testing of a Ruler. The fic isn’t a perfect match for this one but the premise is that Chloe’s emotions are taken advantage of while she is having a panic attack. As someone who has had panic attacks before it was rather cathartic to write.


	8. Parental Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family dinner - what will happen with just our Parisian characters together for the first time since they arrived in Gotham?

After several hours sewing Marinette is finally pulled out of her hyper creativity by the alarm on her phone going off. With several groans and stretches she loosens up the muscles that she had been ignoring while lost in her work. When that is done she quickly changes into nicer clothes and exchanges the turtle bracelet for the horse glasses with an apology to Wayzz. The glasses quickly shift to become light pink decorative glasses as they usually do when Marinette wears them.

She puts on a nice pink blouse and a pair of light gray pants. She finishes the outfit by grabbing a formal gray jacket and pink heels. Satisfied with her appearance she ushers the two kwami into her purse and heads down to meet up with the rest of her family. 

“Alfred went to bring the car around, I told him I could drive us but the man insisted.” Her Uncle Jagged was already waiting in the foyer with Penny. 

Penny raised her brow at her fiance. “Jagged honey, when was the last time you actually drove a vehicle? Much less drove a vehicle in America.” The man pouted heavily and muttered under his breath. 

Several minutes later Marinette's parents walked downstairs. Dressed in semi formal clothing like the rest of them the couple looked much more imposing than they usually did running the bakery. Her Papa had on a dress shirt Marinette had made when she was just starting in mens clothing. It wasn’t one of her best pieces but her father loved the light brown shirt with dark brown bread motifs. Plus it had the benefit of actually fitting her unusually broad father properly. The shirt was one of his favorites ever since she gifted it to him, she could see his pride every time he wore it.

Meanwhile her mother’s outfit was different from her usual cheongsam dress. It was also a result of Marinette's experimentation with new styles. She had incorporated the cheongsam neckline and traditional embroideries in a very light blue fabric. The embroideries were in white, light blue, and dark blue and caused the designs to have a three dimensional effect on the fabric. The matching pants were dark blue with minor embroidered designs and her mother had paired the outfit with sturdy white dress shoes.

**_(Here you can now see the Dupain-Cheng family's outfits for the evening.)_ **

**__ **

Unusually enough Jagged and Penny were not in any of Marinette's designs, but rather in more understated outfits as to not draw any unwanted attention. This close to their wedding the two were taking every precaution to keep the event as personal and private as they could manage.

After Alfred pulled the car around the family of five was quick to pile into the luxury town car slash limousine. The fit was snug but not uncomfortable and the five conversed comfortably on the drive there. When they arrive Marinette is pleasantly surprised that they are not ambushed by photographers. It seemed that Penny disguises have worked properly in discouraging attention. The absence of Fang might also have something to do with it.

The reservation had been made under the name of MDC. Since her alias was celebrity enough to get in, but there would be no reason for anyone in Gotham to be trying to track her down. It helped that the restaurant was well known for its discretion while still being a family owned business, and it had come highly recommended by Mr. Wayne. 

The host is very welcoming and professional. “Yes, a reservation for a party of five under Miss MDC. I will just have to confirm your identification.” 

Marinette steps forward with her Paris business ID and is amused by the obvious surprise that the man hides behind his public service smile. No one ever remembers what MDC really looks like, with just a bit of luck so far and the details were forgotten. Jagged, Penny, herself and her parents had already discussed her identity and decided to wait until she was an adult and had finished lycée to go public. Until that time Marinette had asked Tikki for help keeping this secret Identity along with her other one. So far the most knowledge the public had about MDC was that she was female and young. Other information flew about without confirmation as people tried to get more details about Jagged Stone’s favorite designer. So even if the restaurant was not the secure establishment that they were promised, MDC would not be appearing in any pictures with her family during tomorrow's breaking news.

“Very well, follow me this way ladies and gentlemen.” The host leads them to a nice sized table towards the back of the room and presents them with menus before leaving. 

Marinette is slightly overwhelmed by the opulence despite her years working with Jagged and being friends with three of the most well off children in Paris. She takes a look at the menu to center herself, drawing on years of developed coping mechanisms for times like this. In minutes she has calmed down and as an added bonus decided on a meal. Thankfully her family waits until she has placed the menu back on the table to strike.

“ _So little rockstar, we’ve noticed you getting quite chummy with the littlest Wayne. Anything you wanna share._ ” Jagged asks, switching to french for an added bit of security, and keeping his voice uncharacteristically quiet.

Marinette freezes like a deer in the headlights, or a Ladybug without a plan. She had anticipated her friends interest in her newfound feelings for Damian but had not accounted for her family. It was a stupid thing to forget, after all they had seen much more of her interacting with him durring their stay. Thankfully her Maman interrupts. 

“ _We aren’t angry at you for not telling us, either of you. Ma petite you are entitled to your feelings and attachments. We are only curious and interested in your wellbeing._ ” Comes the soft voice of her Maman. 

“I _t’s just really unexpected._ ” Marinette whispers to her family. “ _I didn’t expect to find someone I liked, especially not someone who lives in another country._ ” These were different concerns than she had shared with Adrien but no less valid.

“ _Damian is a good kid, I think the two of you would be good for each other. If you kids end up together I believe that you two are both stubborn enough to make it work._ ” Her Papa rubbed a large hand over her shoulder. 

The adults at the table left her to her thoughts for several minutes as the waiter came by to deliver their drinks, her parents must have ordered for her, and to take their orders for food. As soon as the waiter left with the menus Marinette tensed for the next onslaught.

Instead Penny gave her a conspiratorial smile. “ _If this does become a thing it's not like Damian, or yourself, don’t have the resources to visit each other pretty regularly_.” The agent and manager teases lightly. 

Marinette could feel the heat on her cheeks. She wasn’t even thinking to that point just yet. “ _Guy’s please, I don’t want to push this. I like being around Damian, and I just want to let it develop on its own. I think this is special, and after what happened last time I really want that._ ” She was breathing a little heavier as she held back tears. 

With her Papa’s hand on one shoulder her Maman set her hand on Marinette's opposite arm. “ _Darling I know things didn’t work out well with Felix but not every relationship is meant to last. Some teach you so you can grow_.” It was a sentiment they had shared many times, but it seemed now to hold more weight to it. 

The only real romantic relationship Marinette had been in, besides the month where she and Adrien promptly realized that theirs was more of a sibling relationship, ended in undisputed disaster. After she and Adrien had determined that kissing the other was not something they ever wanted to do in a more than platonic way, Marinette had been reintroduced to Adrien’s cousin Felix Graham de Vanily. Unfortunately her friends had been correct in stating that Marinette was attracted to dark and broody. And though Felix was as lightly colored as Adrien he was most certainly broody. The boy had taken Marinette's interest in stride and the two had dated for almost three months before Marinette found out the truth. Felix had been using Marinette as a cover to be around the Agrestes without suspicion. According to what Adrien had told her afterward his cousin had been after the second of a pair of rings that had been passed through his mother's side of the family.

By dating Marinette, who was friends with Adrien and at least partially respected by Gabriel Agreste himself, Felix was provided with a reason to be around the Agrestes and spend time in their home. Once the ring had been ‘retrieved’ Felix had no reason to remain in Paris, or in a relationship with Marinette. It had not been a clean break up. 

Felix had actually had the gall to thank Marinette for her ‘assistance’. Like Marinette had voluntarily betrayed her best friend and partner as well as his father. Yes, Gabriel Agreste was a horrible father and not the best person in general, but Marinette was not stupid enough to betray the man who ruled over the industry she was planning on pursuing a career in, at least not without good reason and lots of evidence for child neglect. The boy then offered to continue their ‘arrangement’ long distance since she was of course ‘not the worst person to converse with’. 

Marinette had slapped him, twice. She then proceeded to call him a laundry list of insults and present him with a wide variety of threats for bodily harm. Felix had only shrugged and said ‘her loss’ as if his minor delta of wealth to her own was something she should be grateful that he was even offering. Marinette had responded with a threat that if he ever stepped even a foot in Paris again she would know and hunt him down to do very uncomfortable things to his genitalia. Apparently her delivery had been suitably frightening to cause her former boyfriend to pale quickly and escape without even a farewell.

It was only later that Marinette received a more complete explanation from Adrien about what exactly she had wasted her time and emotions on. The two had spent hours at the Agreste mansion eating ice cream and watching bad romantic comedies and other movies until they both fell asleep. The next morning a very emotionally exhausted Marinette had apologized to Gabriel Agreste. 

Surprisingly the man was not as angry as Marinette, or Adrien, would have anticipated. He had been quite reasonable in listening to her apology for the unknowing part she had played in the theft. The only response was a nod and a reciprocal apology that she was taken advantage of in their family’s battle. He had also allowed Adrien to remain with Marinette for a full day as emotional support which was the most surprising. Adrien's theory had been that his father had enough respect for Marinette’s skills that he feared losing her to another design firm and was therefore more inclined to listen to her.

Penny and Jagged along with the support of Gabriel in part had helped her and Adrien file restraining orders against Felix. Although Marinette’s promise would be upheld if the blond manipulator ever set foot in Paris again. She had an entire team of heroes to back her up that held grudges, were unsurprisingly vindictive and most certainly protective. Marinette had healed from her heartbreak and was now grateful that the relationship hadn’t developed further than shared time, conversations and chaste kisses at most. Felix had not been the most affectionate and Marinette was grateful for that small blessing.

Marinette spent the course of dinner lost in thought. She acknowledged the quality of the food and made small talk, but her mind was elsewhere. Her family most likely knew this but she was glad they didn't draw attention to it. Marinette thought about Damian over the last few days. His behavior, actions, personality. She recalled how he treated her differently than anyone she had ever known. How he respected her and listened to her opinions while still remaining protective and mostly in the background. It was so different from the cold regard she had received from Felix, the quiet awe and affection from her friends. Even Adrien with all of their mutual trust did not treat her the same, not necessarily in a bad way it was simply different. Damian interacted with her in all the ways she appreciated out of her other relationships. It was unreal and most certainly unusual to realize that he meshed with her so well.

Towards the end of the meal Marinette was coming out of her deep thoughts as the rest of the table debated the merits of ordering a desert. Marinette's parents were curious while Jagged swore nothing was as good as their tasty treats. While the adults were arguing Marinette's phone, which was on vibrate, buzzed inside her jacket pocket. Quietly sneaking it out Marinette internally cursed as she saw the alert for an akuma on her phone. Quickly scrolling she found it was Princess Peace, one of their regular akumas. The akuma was a little girl who had frequent nightmares about people fighting and not being able to stop it. She was a sweet girl and her powers were rather harmless, she went around distributing warm milk, cookies and blankets. Since most citizens were asleep when she attacked there usually wasn’t much more damage to fix than letting some people out of their involuntary blanket cocoons. The poor thing was a rather easy akuma to fight since her akuma was usually in her blanket, and there was no sentimonster to assist her. But Marinette still needed to return to Paris so she could purify the akuma. Honestly, she was fairly certain Hawkmoth only kept akumatizing the girl because he wanted them to suffer sleep deprivation. 

“ _Maman, I think I need to use the restroom for, personal reasons._ ” Marinette whispers to her mother shyly. It was a good thing Marinette had gotten better at making and tracking her excuses over the years because her mother just smiled and pointed her towards the bathroom before reminding her to bring her purse.

Marinette headed towards the bathroom at a good pace, like a typical teenage girl in desperate need of the powder room. Once there she smiled at the fact that the bathrooms were multiple individual rooms with locks. Thank goodness for high class bathroom facilities. As soon as the door was closed she called for the kwami’s. “ _Princess Peace is attacking. We have to go purify the akuma._ ” 

“ _We’ll have to be fast._ ” Tikki replied in concern.

“I _know, hopefully the team has it handled by the time we arrive._ ” Marinette confirmed. “ _Tikki, Spots On._ ” She exclaimed quietly before merging Kaalki and teleporting to the location listed for Chat Noir. 

She arrives to an almost completely dark Paris night. All of the streetlights in the area have been taken out by the fight and the only light is the moon hanging near fullness in the sky. It's light reflects off of the akuma and the heroes. It sets Chat Noir’s costume in a reflective silver that forms a beacon to show LadyYouKe her partner's position. Her hopes are confirmed, as soon as Honey Bee catches sight of the newly arrived leader she signals Chat Noir to tear the blanket and release the darkened butterfly. With unerring precision the butterfly is captured and purified by LadyYouKe’s yoyo. 

_“Bye, bye little butterfly.”_ She whispers as she releases the purified butterfly into the night air. “ _Miraculous ladybug._ ” She continues and lets the ladybugs set the city back to how it was. Her teammates wave to her as she prepares to recast her teleportation. LadyYouKe knows that she is able to cast the spell at least two times since she is older now and wields a more powerful miraculous. She still takes a deep breath first. _“Voyage.”_ She says for the second time in almost as many minutes before jumping through successfully to Gotham. 

Well partial success, she thinks before the horse transformation drops, taking away the brown and tan accents and leaving only her usual spots, in a flash of brown. She can tell she is in Gotham. Ladybug is even at the building she was aiming for. She is not however inside the building or the bathroom that she had left from. She hands Kaalki a piece of hardened honey that was in her yoyo for Pollen, in case Honey Bee needed to recharge, as she examined her position. Ladybug was hiding in the shadows on top of the building where she had earlier been eating dinner. 

This was not ideal, she thought as she waited for Kaalki to finish her snack. She heard a thud behind her and felt all of her muscles tense. 

Kaalki hid in Ladybugs hair, holding on to the hero's dark locks as she ducked out of sight, snack still in hand. 

This was very not ideal, Ladybug thought. _“Merde.”_ She cursed under her breath. She really didn’t want to explain to one of Gotham's own why an unknown foreign hero was standing on top of a building in their city. She then heard sirens approaching and stopped across the street and she looked down. Apparently she was also at the scene of a crime, lucky her. 

“Who are you? Turn around with your hands up.” The slightly gruff male voice ordered from behind her.

Of all the times for her luck to run out, her mind contributed ruefully before she turned around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So now you guys will soon have proof that I will be breaking out the colored pencils for this story. I have a few other sketches either started or complete that I hope to display in later chapters. Sorry about not posting it just yet but as soon as I figure it out it will be in the spot I indicated. If anyone knows please help, I tried several ways before posting and couldn't figure it out.  
> Also don't hate me for the cliff hanger please. Who do you think is behind her? It's not difficult guys, time to move this plot along people.  
> Update - Drawing has been posted. Big thanks to queengeek1 and HappGorl for the assistance posting an image.


	9. Unexpected Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is up on the rooftop with Ladybug and how will she escape? Unfortunately we need to backtrack a couple hours to answer these questions.

_Rewind several hours from end of last chapter_

Damien was horrified. Marinette had not been overexagurating the damage that the villains attacks had done. Watching the ones that were filmed for the blog and realizing that there were more that had not been filmed was humbling. The heroes very obviously had little to no formal combat training, though the dragon girl Azhdaha was adequate with a blade she wielded it more like a Sabre than a Jian. And the Cat had no idea how to use his staff as a proper offensive tool, the boy also used the staff like a Sabre or Foil. Damian would hazard to guess that both of them had training in fencing to some degree. The Bee and Bug seemed to have minor martial arts skills and for being untrained the Bug was very much a natural gymnast. The Bee moved like a dancer rather than a fighter, most likely she also had gymnastics training, and the Snake seemed to stay on the outskirts and direct for the most part, potentially due to the power you can occasionally see him activating in the videos. He seemed to rely on brute strength and speed when actually encountering an opponent. The heroes were all quick learners and showed enormous potential for improvement, though Damian still cringed over their improper forms when he watched them punch various akumas.

He was very much unsure how any of them survived and figured it was in part due to the common name he found for Ladybug that called the heroine Lady Luck. Ugg magic, it was messy and tried to pretend it operated on some sort of logic when in reality it was chaotic nonsense. Either way Damian would have to brief his family on the situation that has been overlooked. He would also have to inform them that the heroes were to be properly trained by somebody, anybody at all, he didn’t care he would even do it himself. Damian ignored the fact that this would allow him to be around Marinette, but that was his own business. 

Marinette and her family had left for their reservations by the time Damian went to join his own family for a quick meal before patrol. He had spent his time compiling information on the Paris situation from the blog and other local Paris news stations. With the electronic file safely saved to his personal server and a copy sent to Gordan for the Oracle to look over Damian was confident in his stance.

The majority of the large Batfamily was crowded into the kitchen eating the meal Alfred had prepared before leaving to escort their guests to their destination. They had determined due to the general ambiance of Gotham and the additional risks of allowing Jagged Stone the use of a vehicle to have the butler keep an eye on the Parisian family for the evening.

Damian grabbed a plate of food before moving to stand behind Gordan. The girl already had her phone out and was reviewing the file Damian had forwarded her. Once she gave him a nod of approval Damian finished his plate and set it aside. 

“Attention everyone I have an announcement.” Damian began loudly.

“If it’s your crush on Pixie Pop then we already know about it. You are not subtle Demon Spawn.” Todd cut him off with a laugh.

“On the plus side Baby Bat I’m pretty sure she likes you too.” Richard encouraged.

Damian glared at his brothers. “Shut up Todd, and keep your inputs out of my social life.”

“What social life?” Drake deadpanned.

Thankfully for the sake of his brothers continued retention of their skin Barbara decided to intervene. “Knock it off. Damian has some intel on a high profile situation that has gone unobserved for over three years. He brought it to my attention earlier.” Damian nodded in thanks.

“Earlier today I was alerted by Marinette that there has been a villain in Paris for almost four years. According to her and my own research there is an active team of heroes that have been protecting Paris. All of the individuals in question both heroes and villains are powered by a subcategory of magical objects. From my research I have confirmed what Marinette told me, the objects are called miraculous.” At this point Gordan had gotten the television on one end of the kitchen hooked into the file to display photos Damian had collected. “The villain uses regular civilians by manipulating them during times of emotional crisis. His partner does the same though the effects are slightly different.” The TV displayed the blurry images of Hawkmoth and Mayura as well as their abilities. “The hero team initially was composed of two heroes, most likely in their early teens at the start of this event.” Damian continued after allowing his family to briefly read over the files. “Ladybug appears to be the tactician and team leader. Her power is the main reason the situation has not come to the attention of the world.” 

“Explain.” His Father starts before a glare from Damian cuts him off.

“Her power reverses all of the damage caused during the attacks. It even goes past major structural damage to reverse the deaths caused from the battles.” He continues shortly. “Her partner is Chat Noir, he is the distraction and backup as well as the team's main muscle.” Gordan pulls up the file for the Black Cat next to the one for the Bug. “When they initially needed extra support they added temporary heroes, this lasted until the identities of said temporary heroes were revealed during one of their akuma attacks.” He lets Oracle click quickly through the file on that battle. “Currently there are three other heroes, permanent this time rather than temporary.” The files for Honey Bee, Basilisk and Azhdaha fill the screen. “Details of their powers from my research and analysis can be seen here. All heroes have little to no proper combat training yet have been holding their own against someone who is obviously much older than them. My analysis shows that the heroes themselves are vulnerable to their enemies emotional attacks which explains why they themselves have not reached out for help. They most likely fear facing an opponent who they can not beat.” Damian finishes. 

Gordan picks up. “From my own reading of Damian’s report I believe that although still vulnerable to attack the heroes have at least partial resistance. Although it makes the compromised heroes even more dangerous when they do give in since their emotions are so much more intense.” She clicks to another slide that Damian had not put in the file. “It is also my belief that the team did not intend to keep the rest of the world unaware. Rather it was the mayor's concern for tourism that kept the information local. Based on the young age of the heroes they probably thought people were aware but other heroes felt like they should let the locals handle it.” Gordan looked up at Damian and the two shared a glance.

“Make no mistake, these heroes have done surprisingly well. Trying to circumvent the situation from under them would do no good, and not just due to theirs being the only known way to handle the akuma attacks.” Damian looked to Gordan. 

“The miraculous team is very loved by their city and they in turn care about the people. Damian and I both believe that the best course of action would be to offer them training and resources without stepping into their territory.” Barbara finished before turning off the screen.

“The complete file will be sent to all of you.” Damian added before actually looking over his shocked family.

“That is a-lot to take in.” Brown said. “And you're saying that cheerful girl we met earlier has dealt with this for years?” Everyone else seemed to be processing this as well.

“Yes, and she seemed rather surprised that I had never heard the names of any of the heroes. It fits with the rest of our conclusions, for her it is common knowledge, she probably thought the rest of the world had at least the basic understanding that people outside of Gotham, Metropolis, or Central City have of Batman, Superman, and the Flash.” Damian was rather frustrated that this wasn't the case but he held himself back from yelling.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention Damian. We most certainly will be looking into this. I will wait until I can speak to the League in person to bring it to their attention. Lord knows sitting through the entire briefing isn't their best trait.” Father seems tired, but also proud.

“Another thing Father. I would like to volunteer to participate in the training of the heroes if possible.” He spoke with a straight face and confidence. Nonetheless Todd started snickering.

“Couldn’t be because he wants to go to Paris to see a pretty bluenette.” The older vigilante teased. 

Damian's fingers itched to throw a knife in his brother's direction. It's not like it would actually hit him, but it was the thought that counted. 

“I will take that into consideration Damian. Until then, everyone go get dressed for patrol.” Father said, dismissing the group to go get on their gear. He stopped Damian on the way out. “I’m proud of you Damian.” The man stated before exiting the room.

Damian thought about the odd warmth in his chest as he changed into his uniform. It was not an overly familiar feeling but it was one he enjoyed when he knew that he had done something to garner his father’s approval. After all, Bruce Wayne was not an overly expressive man, and the simple praise held a lot of weight.

Robin had just stepped into the main area of the Bat Cave when the alarm on the Bat Computer went off. 

“It’s from Agent A. Apparently there's chatter on the police scanner about the silent alarm in the jewelry store across the street from the subjects positions.” Oracle relays. 

Robin is filled with cold fear. “What is the position of the subjects?” He asks. 

“According to surveillance they are in the middle of their meal. Police units have been dispatched to the scene. So far nothing appears to be out of the normal on the street.” Oracle answers as she cycles through camera angles.

“Let’s go.” Batman orders hopping into the Batmobile with Nightwing. “Red Hood, Red Robin take the back of the building. Spoiler and Black Bat enter from the roof. Robin surveillance from across the street. Make sure the subjects don’t stray.” The team acknowledges the instructions around the room before spurring into action. 

“Keep me posted Oracle.” Robin asks as he hops on his bike before speeding out of the cave after the Batmobile. He wanted to be offended that the team was sidelining him, but in this case he would much rather be able to keep an eye on his Angel than have a piece of the action.

Robin was almost to his position when Oracle came back over the coms. “Looks like subject Angel is heading to the restroom. So far no need for concern, she’s staying inside the restaurant floor of the building, and she left her coat at the table she only took her purse.”

Robin growled. “Let me know if anything else changes.” He grapples up to the roof of the neighboring building to get in position. 

“Don’t worry so much Baby Bat, most girls take their purses to the bathroom.” Spoiler tried to sooth over the coms. 

“I would still feel much better if Oracle had eyes on her.” Robin was tense as he waited on the rooftop. He scanned the street below as everyone confirmed their positions. Then he scanned the surrounding rooftops. He could see the faint outline of Spoiler and Black Bat on the target building as they prepared to enter the building to reach the jewelry store. He couldn't see the other vigilante teams as they hid out of sight and waited. This wasn’t one of the rogues, the cops would handle this for the most part while the Bats provided backup. If it weren’t for the subjects across the street they would have left it to the authorities or just sent one pair of Bats to the scene. Thankfully there was a precedent for the Bat’s joining police busts on slow nights, most people attributed it to boredom or team bonding.

Just then Robin saw something on the roof of the building next to him, the one housing the restaurant. He could faintly hear Oracle relaying the ETA of the police cars, but he was distracted by the bright blue light that briefly illuminated the neighboring rooftop. Robin would have thought it was a trick of the light but then there was another flash. This time the flash was brown and Robin reached for his coms. 

“There's movement on top of the subject's building. Stay on target and send backup when clear, I'm moving in to investigate.” Robin then quickly leaps over to the roof of the building landing with a soft thunk. Close up he could now see the figure of a girl tucked away in the shadows. Her back was turned and she appeared to be wearing some sort of costume. 

As soon as he landed the girl tensed up. Her shoulders hunching up to meet her dark hair. “ _Merde._ ” The girl cursed softly in french. Robin felt his suspicions grow even as he heard the predicted sirens as the police pulled up next door. The girl herself was facing the street and seemed surprised by the introductions of the sirens into the noises around them. 

He looked closer at her costume even as the dark obscured it. “Who are you? Turn around with your hands up.” Robin growled. 

The woman seemed to sigh in resignation before she slowly raised her gloved hands and started to turn around. Surprisingly as soon as she had finished turning around the girl stepped towards him, though the distance was still large, and into the more ambient lighting from the city. 

Despite having seen it many times that afternoon Robin was still shocked by the young features of the girl standing in front of him wearing bright red and covered in black spots. As if to confirm what Robin had already concluded the girl, heroine, began to speak. 

“I’m sorry, I appear to have ended up in the wrong place. My name is Ladybug, I am a hero of Paris.” The accented voice was clear as the foreign hero introduced herself. “You are Robin _non_? That would make this Gotham? I appear to have misjudged my destination a bit.” She tried to joke.

“One could say that.” Robin began. “You’re a long way from home little _Cocinelle_.” 

The heroine seemed to relax slightly though her guard stayed up. “It happens, magic is funny sometimes.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Although I have to say.” Ladybug began with more confidence. “Your outfit, those colors should not look good. I mean honestly I would have thought the only reason for those to be put together was a traffic light, but you aren't as bad as some of the akumas I’ve seen.”

Robin tried to resist smiling. “Thanks for the vote of approval, my predecessors were slightly more fluorescent.” He then frowned. “Plus we already have a demented clown, nobody can beat that amount of horrifying.” 

Ladybug herself grimaced in response. “Yeah that makes sense. Sorry I mentioned it, that guy is awful.” 

“Not to seem uninviting but the Bat isn’t too keen on visitors not checking in. We won’t keep you long.” Robin tried to seem nonthreatening.

Ladybug seemed to grimace and yawn a little. “I don’t want to seem rude but it's the middle of the night in Paris and I’ve already overstayed my welcome.” She unclipped her belt and he saw it turn into the yoyo he had seen in the videos. “Sorry _petit oiseau_ , thanks for the chat. Bug out.” She flung the yoyo to another roof and took off. 

Cursing, Robin chased her to the next building and then to the next. The girl moved much like Nightwing as she twisted herself around different parts of buildings with ease that spoke of practice if not training. She seemed to fly as she led Robin on a merry chase. The girl was even laughing as she went. On one rooftop she stopped, not even out of breath. Robin made another mental note. 

“That was fun _oiseau_ , mon Chaton cant even keep up that well when I fly.” She put on a thinking face. “Speaking of, I have to get around to adding those wings.” The heroine mumbled in french just as Robins com came on. 

“I have a shot at the meta.” Red Hood announced in his ear. 

Ladybug stiffened and Robin's blood ran cold. Red Hood used rubber bullets but they still packed a punch, and the french hero wouldn't know that they were fake. Robin reaches for his com quickly. “Hood, stand down you idiot. I repeat don't shoot.” His warning is too late. 

He hears a quiet muttering in french and Ladybug is quickly lost in another bright flash of light before the hero takes an elegant swan dive off the side of the building. Her movement throws her out of the way of Red Hood's presumed range. 

“No!” Robin shouts before running towards the side of the building. When he looks over the edge there is no sign of the parisian heroine.

“Robin what's the situation?” Red Hood demands. 

“You idiot you scared her off.” Robin shouts in frustration. “I wanted to question her and you spooked her.”

“Robin, you're not making any sense. Who was that meta?” Hood sounds honestly confused and Robin reminds himself to breath.

“She wasn’t a meta Hood. That was Ladybug, heroine of Paris.” Robin said before grappling down off the building. He wasn't going to get anywhere looking around here. Ladybug was gone the same way she arrived most certainly back in Paris somehow by now.

******* _Later that Evening_ *******

Robin threw his mask on the table in the Bat Cave. He could faintly hear Hood trying to apologize as he stomped his way into the cave behind him. Robin ignored him as he threw several batarangs at one of the targets in the corner. 

“Might I request why you are so viciously destroying the decor Master Robin.” The calm voice of Alfred sounds from the entrance to the cave. The butler must have recently returned with the Parisian family. Damian let himself take a relieved breath that Marinette was back safely.

“That idiot.” He started gesturing angrily at Hood. “Scared away Ladybug before I could talk to her.” Damian dragged his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Hey Demon Spawn, it's not my fault the weird french hero looked like a meta from a distance.” Hood countered. “Or that apparently she has enhanced hearing.” He muttered under his breath. 

“Excuse me Master Damian, did you say Ladybug?” Alfred asked in confusion.

“Yes. My apologies Alfred you were absent for my briefing earlier.” Damian said.

“Briefing, he says. Like him and Oracle didn’t ambush us at dinner with the information that there are magical heroes and villains in the freaking city of love.” Hood grouses behind him. 

“I will forward the file to you Alfred. Essentially there are magical artifacts active in Paris in the hands of both heroes and villains, intel is that they are part of a group called the miraculous.” Damian began taking his armor and gear off.

“Very well Master Damian. Thank you for the insight, I would presume the situation was initially presented by Miss Marinette.” Alfred seemed shocked by the information.

“Yeah apparently Pixie Pop dropped it at lunch, was surprised he didn’t know.” Hood replied as Damian growled in frustration. 

“This is quite shocking. I do believe I will return to my quarters to review this.” The man seemed distressed by the additional news. “Goodnight young Masters.” Alfred said distractedly before exiting the cave.

“And on that note I’m going to my room, and I would appreciate being left alone.” He knew he was being rude but Damian was tired and pissed. The only saving grace right now was the fact that elsewhere in the manor Marinette was safe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So I know this chapter was a little shorter but this was a good place to stop. Also once I get past 3000 words and find a good place in the plot to stop I go meh and call it good. So yeah hope you guys liked the first ‘in mask’ confrontation between our main characters.  
> Also Marinette/Ladybug totally used ‘Magic’ as a copout for accidentally appearing in a city halfway around the world from where she should be. More on this absolute BS in the future. I said she had gotten better at making excuses, not that she was an expert.  
> PPS, I had Damian use the word Sabre but it can also be Saber depending on the language or how pretentious you want to be. I have experience in fencing but mainly in Foil or Epee. If you don't know anything about fencing there are three different weapons which have their own rules and regulations. On Miraculous they use Saber's but act as if they are fencing Foil or Epee, most media does this and it's not necessarily bad but it can be confusing. Hope you guys don't mind my little rant. Eventually I might write a MLB fic about a fencing tournament but today is not that day. Also if anyone is wondering, no I'm not 'good' at fencing, but I enjoy it and thats what is important.


	10. That Was Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last minute save by Marinette. And some more revelations happening in Wayne Manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little slower than most of the others I was writing. It was a harder one to write because of the pace. Also Alfred is a cryptid.

As soon as LadyYouKe landed in the restaurant bathroom she took a breath and started giggling. It took her several minutes to calm down during which both transformations dropped and she was left in the bathroom with two concerned kwami’s. 

“That was too close Guardian.” Kaalki started aghast. 

Tikki however was looking at Marinette in concern. “Marinette are you okay? Kaalki’s right, that other vigilante could have shot you.”

Marinette smiled reassuringly as she set about making sure she looked presentable so she wouldn't arouse her family’s suspicions. “Yeah Tikki, Gotham’s vigilantes aren’t bad people, and I’m sure the rounds are non lethal. Plus that was a lot of fun, even Chat can’t keep up like that most days without his pole.”

Tikki examined her closely before nodding and dragging the still distressed Kaalki into the purse. Marinette waited a few seconds for the kwamis to settle in before unlocking and exiting the bathroom. She walked back to the table with a practiced expression of minor relief on her face. She let her expression shift to confusion as she approached the table to see only her Maman and Penny. 

“Maman, where is Papa and Uncle Jagged?” Marinette asked lightly in french.

“There was something going on across the street, Tom and Jagged went to pay our bill and check in with Alfred.” Her mother answered soothingly. 

Marinette nodded as if she hadn't seen the police cars outside just minutes prior from the rooftop. She waited calmly with her Maman and Penny as the three made small talk and waited for the men to return. Marinette took the opportunity to talk to Penny about some of the more detailed parts of her dress since Jagged wasn’t around to overhear. 

By the time her Papa returned to escort them back to the car, where Jagged and Alfred were waiting, the conversation had moved to the adults' plans for the next day. The four were planning to do more pre wedding meetings including finalizing the caterer and confirming the floral arrangements with the people they met with earlier in the week. There was also talk about the meeting they were going to have with the staff of Gotham Cathedral where the ceremony would be held. Penny also mentioned that they would have to talk with the security team they hired to keep the press away from the Cathedral and later the drive to Wayne Manor for the reception. Marinette was thankful that Wayne Manor was apparently already equipped to keep the nosy press away. 

The trio of women followed the large figure of Tom Dupain out to the car and quickly got in. Marinette quickly looked across the street to see several very disgruntled robbers being stuffed into cop cars by members of the Gotham PD. In the shadows she could see the outline of several more of the vigilantes, though Robin and Red Hood were, of course, absent. Marinette tried to take in the apparent Batfamily as the car drove past, and she was pretty sure that she saw the one called Nightwing playfully swing an arm around one of the female vigilantes shoulders as the team chatted. Based on the costume Marinette thought the girl was Black Bat and the one next to her was Spoiler. The silent banter she observed reminded her of her team back in Paris. Marinette missed her friends more for the reminder. Though she had seen some of them meer minutes before it wasn’t the same as hanging out with them outside of the masks. Especially since the fight had already been taken care of and their interaction had only been momentary. 

Right now Marinette would really appreciate having Adrien as a sounding board. That entire confrontation on the rooftops was something she desperately needed to talk to him about. Hopefully Robin bought the magic excuse, he seemed to have at least believed that she was a hero. Marinette really hadn't wanted to have to figure out a reasonable explanation besides that for Ladybug to be halfway across the world from Paris if the Gotham vigilante questioned her. Marinette took out her sketchbook so her family wouldn’t question her silence and started to aimlessly draw as her thoughts ran away. She couldn’t believe she had criticized his uniform, or at the very least commented on it. However, the fashion designer in her was torn. Nobody should be able to make that color combination actually work not to mention look even remotely good. Marinette was embarrassed that she had said anything though, and she had basically told him he looked good. Why would she do that, one boy to focus on at a time was plenty for her to handle emotionally. She didn't need to get distracted by a foreign vigilante on her vacation, no way. 

His reactions however had been entertaining. It had taken a lot of time for her team to be that comfortable with bantering back and forth. Marinette supposed she could relate it to the playfulness she had witnessed with the other members of the local vigilante team. Marinette recalled how Robin reacted when Red Hood spoke in his ear. He had been scared but also exasperated, the fear most likely was that she would be scared off. Marinette knew that she had not disguised her eavesdropping very well. Then again she had taken off as soon as she knew Kaalki was recharged and ready to go.

Marinette tried to shake herself back into reality as she looked at the sketchbook before blushing. Thank goodness she was in the corner of the car. Apparently she had been spending the entire car ride drawing Robin. A very detailed series of sketches straight from memory. She had also drawn the other members of the Batfamily that she had seen on the street, but the sketches of Robin were by far the most detailed, suspiciously so. Marinette closed the notebook as the pulled onto the road leading to the manor. She didn’t want to be asked by her family when she had seen the youngest vigilante. It was on par with the embarrassing amount of sketches she had done of Damian over the last few days. Those were hidden away with her other art supplies. Marinette resolved to put these incriminating pages into the endless storage of her yoyo as soon as she reached her room.

She was quick to excuse herself after they reached the manor, claiming discomfort and a desire to finish up some more of her work before she turned in for the night. Making her way to her room Marinette stowed away the artwork before spending a good length of time at her sewing machine. When she finally found herself becoming tired, Marinette put away her supplies and settled the kwami’s in the little bed she had hidden behind her sewing supplies. She was asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

*************

The next morning Marinette woke up slightly later than usual and groaned before heading downstairs. She had Kaalki and Tikki in the pockets of her loungey dress as she padded softly down the hall. Tiredly rubbing at her eyes underneath the glasses frames Marinette entered the kitchen to find it surprisingly empty. Only Jason and Alfred were in the space, which now seemed much larger for it's emptiness.

“Good morning Miss Marinette, apologies but we did not wish to wake you since your parents said you had probably stayed up with your projects.” Alfred told her as he placed a mug of fresh coffee and a scone in front of her.

Marinette blushed but accepted the drink. “Yeah, it happens sometimes. Where is everyone though? It's around ten right.” She took a big sip of the coffee, it was perfect.

“Bruce and Tim dragged Demon Spawn to a Wayne Enterprises board meeting so the kid can ‘get some exposure’.” Jason began with air quotes as he chugged his own coffee. “Dick’s girlfriend is back from visiting her family so he's probably gone there before he heads to his shift at the precinct. I think your folks said something about caterers and flowers or something. And I honestly didn't want to ask what the girls were up to.” 

Marinette nodded sagely as she munched on her scone, it was good, not something her family usually made. “Sounds like fun.” She said sarcastically. “I’ll stick to my fabric. What about you guys?” She tried to not sound disappointed at Damian's apparent absence for the day.

“Master Jason has to catch up on some work with the Martha Wayne Foundation today.” Alfred stated pointedly, causing Jason to groan. 

Marinette giggled. “That doesn't sound too bad.” She tried to soothe.

“You don’t have to have lunch with all the high society grandmothers who keep trying to introduce me to their ‘lovely granddaughters’ blegh.” Jason gagged and grimaced.

“Even so, Master Jason is the best at making sure the Foundation is investing it's money efficiently into the community.” Alfred cleared away their dishes as he handed out the casual compliment. Jason just picked himself up and shuffled out of the room without responding. Alfred’s mouth quirked up in the corners slightly before he turned to Marinette. “Would you care to join me for tea at lunch today Miss Marinette? I find myself adverse to taking my meals alone in such an active household.”

Marinette smiled at the older man. “Of course Alfred, I would love to join you for tea.” She replied as she started picking up her things. “What time should I make my way downstairs?”

“Around 12:30 I will start preparing tea, I was thinking the sun room would be nice. Would you join me around one?” Alfred pleasantly answered.

“That sounds wonderful, I believe I found that room earlier in the week. It is the one with the bamboo furniture and blue cushions correct.” Marinette recalled the bright room where she had been taking some of her video calls.

“The very same Miss Marinette.” Alfred nodded.

“Perfect I will join you at one.” Marinette grinned a little. “I’m even setting an alarm in case I get lost in my work.” She joked as she set the appropriate alerts on her phone before skipping out of the room.

***

Marinette was thankful for her alarms, and the ever attentive Tikki, when she was indeed distracted by her work. The little kwami easily pulled Marinette out of her state of hyperfocus by screaming in her ear. It was a practiced method of getting her attention. By this point Marinette had quite a bit of the suits done. Most of the exterior shells were completed and waiting for detailing. Once Marinette completed the denser embroidery she could sew in the linings and add some of the final touches to the pieces. Overall she was quite proud of the progress, the next step would be more time consuming but Marinette already had some ideas for the detailing on each design. 

Marinette slipped on her flats before gesturing the two kwami into her purse so they wouldn't be cramped in her pockets the entire lunch. The walk down to the sitting room was short and Marinette arrived just a moment after she heard one of the manors many clocks announce the turn of the hour. She was proud of her timing, having come a long way from the girl who was always late for everything, superhero duties or not.

Alfred was in the sun room laying out the formal tea service with a calm demeanor. Marinette smiled, she used to attend tea ceremonies with her mother before the bakery became more popular. Recently she had taken to tagging along with Kagami and her mother to traditional Japanese tea services. It had begun as a way to form trust with Tomoe Tursurgi but Marinette quite enjoyed experiencing the cultural immersion with her friend. Chloe had offered to take them to London for a tea service there but their group could never find the time. Apparently Marinette would no longer be waiting to have the experience. When she smelled the tea she almost wished that she had the foresight to bring out Wayzz, the little kwami loved tea.

“I was unsure if you had experienced a proper english tea service so perhaps I have gone a little overboard.” Alfred spoke maturely, though Marinette could sense a tiny bit of sheepishness. 

“I have not Mr Alfred, though I am familiar with the Chinese and Japanese ceremonies. My mother took me when I was younger and I recently took up going with a friend.” Marinette smiled as she took in the gorgeous tea set and array of small sandwiches and treats. “Everything looks delightful. Several of my friends would be jealous of me right now if they knew.” She giggled and set her purse on one of the chairs.

Alfred poured the tea with practiced ease, it looked as graceful as any expert pouring tea looked in their element. The two quietly enjoyed the first tastes of their tea and served some snacks. Everything tasted amazing and Marinette enjoyed the floral notes in the tea.

“Miss Marinette can I tell you a story?” Alfred asked softly glancing at her. The shift in tone was light but palpable. “Call it an old man's desire to reflect on the past.” Marinette could see him waiting for her response. It was a soft tension, like he was asking for more than an ear, asking for understanding. 

Marinette just nodded, the emotions in the air too confusing for her to form coherent words. The man smiled and set down his finished plate to pick up his cup and fold his fingers lightly around it.

“Many years ago, before I was in the employ of Master Bruce's parents and a member of the Waynes household, I was a soldier in the war. I remember the time clearly even though it was so long ago, but most clearly I always remember I was not alone.” Alfred seemed emotional but he composed himself quickly. “I worked with another soldier, and a partner. The other soldier also had a partner. My partner was my closest confidant and friend during that time of my life. He was infinitely understanding and always supportive of me. It was the deepest relationship I had prior to meeting the Wayne’s.” Alfred paused to pour them both more tea. “The other soldier was not as close to his partner and I regret not questioning it more back then. Maybe if I had some things would have turned out very differently.” He seemed lost for several moments before shaking himself back to the present. “Apologies, but it just so happened that during one mission we were attacked. Now we were quite capable as a team, but the ambush was well planned and their goal was very straightforward. During the attack I was knocked unconscious and when I awoke the other soldier was dead and both my partner and his had been taken. I still have no idea what happened during the attack, but I recently had some news that gives me hope that my friend is alive, though I’m led to believe he is not well.” Alfred took both tea cups and set them on the tray.

Marinette felt her breath stuck, as if on the edge of a cliff. “Who was your friend Mr Pennyworth?” She whispered breathlessly.

Alfred raised an eyebrow at her and smiled wryly. “My friend was named Dussu and I miss him dearly. I believe Miss Marinette, that you can relate to this. Unless I am losing my observation skills in my old age, Miss Marinette. Some things just stand out. At least to someone who knows what to look for.” His voice was soft and open. But even without that Marinette would have known that he was telling the truth. The name of the Peacock kwami was not something someone could stumble upon. 

“Do you recall the name of the other soldier's partner?” Marinette asked tensely. She needed to confirm her suspicions.

“A sensitive fellow named Nooroo, he was quiet compared to Dussu.” Alfred confirmed.

Marinette put her head in her hands in disbelief. She hadn’t thought that someone else had held the lost Miraculous before Hawkmoth. 

“Dussu told me about others, a family that he missed. I never expected the information to have any meaning other than fantastical stories told to soothe a troubled mind.” Alfred did not approach her which she appreciated. This wasn’t the first time someone discovered her identity, but he was practically a stranger and she had no idea how deep his knowledge of her went. 

“What kinda stories?” She prompted quietly and he smiled.

“There were a few but I can’t always remember all of them. They pop into my mind at the oddest times. For instance this week I kept remembering this one story about Tikki and Plagg and how the cat and bug chase each other in a never ending game as they influence the balance of the world. How they create and destroy, and give balance to the light and dark in the world. It was a poetic tale I think, more so when you look into what you told Master Damian about yesterday.” He was calm as he laid out his knowledge. It sounded similar to some of the things Adrien read out loud while the two of them delved deeper into the history and knowledge of the Guardians. He was much more interested in history and poetry than she was.

Marinette smiled a little. “What gave it away?” She asked simply.

“Quite a number of things, but your accessories give off the same sort of odd energy that the broach did. The additional ones amplified your earrings as well. Though the energy is less potent than when I was actually in possession of one, most certainly someone wearing more than one at a time is quite jarring to the senses. I didn’t quite catch the feeling until you came downstairs wearing the bracelet, it seems to give off more energy than the other one. The glasses correct? I honestly wouldn’t have noticed any of them alone it's been so long, but wearing the jewels of creation most certainly puts out quite a bit of energy to someone who's sensitive.” He seemed cautionary and Marinette appreciated it even if she didn’t know what to do with it.

Marinette's brain stalled momentarily. “Should I be concerned about this happening again?” She asked out loud, though the question was not directed to the man in front of her.

Suddenly the red blob of Tikki flew out and around Alfred. The man seemed slightly startled, but the tears in his eyes made Marinette think it was more out of having missed the presence of a kwami for such a long time. “I don’t think that will be an issue, Marinette. Alfred is one of Dussu’s chosen birds, and he's already held the miraculous for a time. His sensitivity to magical energy is almost on par with trained masters, at least in respect to the miraculous.” Tikki paused. “Mayura isn’t a true bird and Hawkmoth is certainly not the true butterfly.” Tikki flew up to sit on Marinette's shoulder. “Plus the magic wouldn't have let him find out if he was going to harm you. That’s one of the nice side effects of having creation and luck as the Guardian, the magic is more inclined to help you. So even though you put out a lot of creation energy only certain people are even capable of noticing. If you want I can teach you how to shield your energy consciously.”

“Good to know Tikki, and thank you we will certainly put that on the list.” Marinette sighed mentally. Guardian training had become quite a long list. “Well here goes nothing.” Marinette turns back to Alfred. “Alfred Pennyworth, true holder of the peacock miraculous. As Ladybug and the Guardian of the miraculous can I trust you to protect my identity and the safety of the miraculous?” She says formally.

“You can trust me Guardian, and however I can help you rescue Dussu and Nooroo I will.” Alfred replies seriously. “Thank you for listening and being open. I understand how nervous that must have made you.” He continues, voice full of emotion.

Marinette nodded and took a leftover cookie off one of the plates to hand to Tikki. “I will have to ask you what you know about the peafowl and butterfly later. You might have insight that could help us retrieve them. I know Mayura was a lot less resilient prior to losing the previous Guardian. Our current theory is that the miraculous was damaged and must have been repaired when the villains received the partially decrypted spellbook. I activated a computer virus as soon as I remembered but I’m not sure how much information they were able to retrieve.” Marinette scowled at the memory. She hadn’t even remembered the program until Chat brought it up later that week.

“You think the damage could have occurred in the ambush?” Alfred asked in surprise, realizing where her thoughts were running.

Marinette shrugged. “Possibly, but we would have to ask the kwami’s to be certain and that option won’t be available for a while. I didn’t think much could damage a miraculous though so it’s worth remembering. This is my responsibility now and more information can only help in the future.” She scowled again. “Most of the old Guardian books and journals are written not only in their language, but also in codes and poems. It is incredibly aggravating to decipher.” 

Alfred laughed, “I remember Dussu speaking in rhymes sometimes, he claimed that poetry was art with words. Good to know he picked it up from somewhere.”

“Unfortunately it seems that the Order was quite fond of burying their information in poetry and hidden meanings. My skill set may be able to decode the text and description behind the more logistical information, but the history is less logical in nature.” Marinette shook her head. “There is someone else working on the more poetic and flowery texts with me, but it is still a slow process.” 

“I understand the toils of research Miss Marinette. I would be happy to relay what I know about the miraculous.” Alfred smiled at her. “For now I presume you would like to get back to your work.” 

“Yes, if you are not too busy Alfred we could take care of both at the same time. The kwami of the Turtle will know better what to ask you about.” Marinette started to pick up her things, allowing Tikki to fly back into the purse carrying a cookie and some sugar cubes for Kaalki. 

“Of course, Dussu mentioned that the Turtle was very wise.” Alfred finished putting the tea set back on the tray he must have used to carry it to the room. 

“Wayzz has been training me with Tikki since I took up the position of Guardian. He was paired with the last Master and is quite knowledgeable about the general workings of the miraculous.” Marinette patted her purse. “Tikki tells me it is rare for the holders of the highest powered miraculous to be Guardians due to the nature of our personalities.” She smiled softly. “The nature of the turtle however is more frequently aligned with the nature of the Guardian.”

Alfred nodded in understanding. He had already shown an understanding of what it meant to be a true holder. Being attuned to a miraculous was not hard, peoples personalities can resonate with parts of the miraculous without matching it fully, but being a chosen holder was rare. It meant that a person's soul was born with the characteristics embodied by the miraculous. Not every true holder for a miraculous was the same in their personality, but their capacity to bond with the miraculous strengthened their connection to their powers and kwami. Alfred most certainly had a strong bond to the peacock considering he could sense ambient magic after years separated from the miraculous.

Marinette had been surprised to find that she had instinctively chosen to build her team out of true holders after finally deciding to pick permanent wielders. According to the books having so many true holders be found together was rare. But Adrien had even confirmed that their team was made of entirely true holders.

Alfred nodded to her and headed to the kitchen with the promise to join Marinette after he took care of their dishes. Marinette got Wayzz out as soon as she was back in her room. Keeping Kaalki out for now drew a little bit more energy, but Marinette had been building up her tolerance for a while so a short time shouldn't affect her too poorly. Wayzz seemed cautious as Marinette told him what she had learned, and he insisted upon withholding judgment until he had heard this story himself. 

When Alfred arrived Marinette went to her sewing as Wayzz tore into Alfred's story. The kwami asked for specifics that Marinette wouldn't have thought about. Marinette calmly stitched through the interrogation as all three kwami took turns examining the man and his story. 

Tikki had already confirmed that the man’s soul did indeed show signs of being a true peafowl holder. Now it was simply a matter of ensuring that the more cautious Turtle kwami was satisfied with the new development. After a while Wayzz seemed to reach a conclusion and flew over to Marinette.

The little kwami politely waited for Marinette to tie off her stitch before speaking. “He speaks true. And his knowledge is fortuitous. We can now confirm that the peacock was not damaged in the destruction of the temple.” 

Marinette let out a breath in relief. After so long taking care of this herself this week had seen the addition of two adults who were offering their support to her. Having Wayzz approve of both resources loosened a tightness in her chest that she hadn’t been aware of previously. 

“Thank you Wayzz. And thank you Alfred for allowing this and offering your support. It truly means a lot.” Marinette set down the unfinished suit jacket. “I understand how hard it must have been to lose Dussu and to then find out that someone was using him for evil. I promise we are doing all we can to retrieve him and Nooroo.” 

Alfred smiled. “I understand, and I will do my best to help you restore the balance.” He shared a look with the kwami as he said this, like he was promising them as well as her. Marientte smiled at the gesture, true holders were usually the only ones to understand the depth of the little entities as more than tools of transformation or magic pets. It was a lesson Wayzz had taught her after Master Fu left. The purpose was to protect the kwami from having their knowledge misused along with their powers. Alfred then excused himself to go work on preparing for dinner and some of the guests that would be coming later in the week.

Marinette went back to working on the suit jackets. She put detailed coffee cups with steam into the pockets on Tim’s jacket, along with making sure that her signature was placed hidden but on display for the fan. She was finishing up the detailed outlines of little brown birds in the coffee steam when she noticed it was nearing time for dinner. She was happy to have finished the majority of the detailing for Tim’s jacket and pants. At this rate she could get the lining sewn in after dinner and have the first suit ready for a final fitting. She quickly packed up her purse with a smile and put Kaalki’s glasses into the side pocket so she wasn’t putting as much of a drain on her energy. With that done Marinette skipped down the hall towards the dining room.

****POV Shift****

It had been a long time since Alfred had thought about the miraculous. He reminisced about his time with Dussu frequently as it had encompassed a time of great personal growth for him, but the existence of a collection of powerful jewelry was not something that one got stuck on when their employer was the Dark Knight of Gotham. His family faced amazing and odd things on a weekly basis as their vigilante personas. Magic was a fact of their existence by this point so the specifics didn’t usually come into question. Alfred knew from personal experience that magic was real, and he had held strong to the time with Dussu as a personal and private time of his life. The introduction of one Marinette Dupain Cheng into the Wayne household had pulled up those old memories of magic and balance with distracting ease. His worn instincts told him that there was a shift happening in the world where this girl went. 

Conversing with the young Guardian had felt like picking up a piece of his past again. The kwami’s bringing up memories of Dussu and Nooroo as they floated around him during their little interrogation. The energy was much stronger once he was consciously aware of its existence. Instead of feeling the compounded energy from Marinette he could sense the difference between the kwami’s and the power from Marinette herself.

Alfred prepared dinner with practiced ease despite his distraction. The tasks keeping his hands busy as he was lost in thought. With the new information presented in the last 24 hours he found himself amused by the budding romance that could be seen between Master Damian and Miss Marientte. The young vigilante was chasing his own tail more efficiently than Master Bruce with Miss Kyle or any of the other boys with their various entanglements, except perhaps Master Richard. But then magic could do that to anyone.

When the family gathered for dinner Alfred watched the interactions with new interest. He exchanged a soft look of understanding with Miss Marinette as she entered, before the girl made an immediate and obvious path towards Master Damian. The girl greeted his youngest grandson with a soft smile and kisses on the cheeks that caused both teenagers to blush lightly. The gentle amusement he felt at the interaction was protected by the knowledge that the magic of the miraculous was stubborn and resilient. Hopefully that power would help the growing bond between the two overcome the obstacles they would face. 

“They are good for each other.” A voice stated from behind him. Alfred turned around to see Sabine Cheng at his shoulder. “We worried for a while with her first crush, but he’s her best friend now. They wouldn’t have been good partners for each other romantically but as friends they are practically unstoppable.” 

Alfred looked to the shorter woman in confusion. “I don’t take your meaning?” He questioned.

Sabine raised a brow at him. “Perhaps, but I think you do Mr Pennyworth. Call it a mother's intuition if you will, but I know my daughter.” 

“I believe that you do Miss Cheng. She is a miraculous girl.” He replied, Sabine laughed.

“Quite right Mr Pennyworth, and Damian is a wonderful young man.” She teased causing him to chuckle in surprise. The mother was much more observant than she let on. “Ma petite was drawing last night. And Damian lifted her the first night more easily than Tom lifts sacks of flour. A mother notices things like that.” 

Alfred nodded. “It will be an interesting week I think.”

“What purpose does life have without a little adventure?” The woman commented wryly. “Watching young love is definitely an enjoyable endeavor though.” Was her comment as Master Damian removed Miss Marinette's hands from her face and held them within his own. “Truly adorable, sweeter then Tom’s pastries even.” The mother giggled. 

The two stood watching the interaction as both families moved into the dining room. Then they split up by mutual understanding to take seats at the table. Dinner was rather quiet today as most present were tired from the long work day. Alfred knew that his family would be getting their second wind within the hour to take to the rooftops on patrol. It was Master Damians turn to remain at the manor, despite the availability of Miss Barbara to run the coms someone had to be available to distract their guests from the absence of most of the household.

Looking at the way the young man leaned over into Miss Marinette's space as the two conversed Alfred imagined there was much less resistance to the arrangement now than there was when the schedule had been made. Spending time in the manor must not seem like such a hardship when there was someone to spend time with. Alfred let the rest of the meal pass with a soft smile on his lips. The beginnings of young love were an adventure indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This chapter was really hard to write since it was so plot heavy. Hopefully the next chapter is a little easier since we will be getting back to our regularly scheduled fluff. Also let me know what you guys think in the comments below. The conversation with Alfred was difficult to write but I like how it turned out. Additionally Sabine was implying what you think she was implying. Mama Cheng for the win.


	11. Leap of Faith, Ask her on a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is Damian’s perspective returning to the manor after a day at the WE offices. Honestly he is 17 why does he have to attend these meetings anyway. It's not like anyone on the board will listen to him until he’s 18.

Damian took a breath of relief when he opened the car door. The board meeting had been ridiculously boring and far too long. He was frustrated that he had been forced to attend that farce in the first place, but it also meant missing out on an entire day of Marinette's visit. The meeting had been to go over the company's quarterly earnings, and the older members of the board had spent over an hour stuck on attempting to convince the two CEO’s to reduce or change the charity donations. Considering that Jason was the one who researched and cleared the organizations they donated to that wasn’t going to happen. Not to mention that the Wayne family had an iron clad protection on the funds that went to the Martha Wayne Foundation. But nevertheless the meeting had run much longer than it had been supposed to go. They had gotten home just in time for dinner and Damian wanted nothing more than to see Marinette. He walked quickly to the dining room and was disappointed to see that Marinette was not yet in the room. 

“What Demon Spawn? Looking for someone in particular?” Todd teased. Damian looked around to see that everyone was looking at him. Apparently Dick was at Kori’s house or work still, but Drake and Father had followed in behind him and were giving him the same amused expression that Todd had graced him with.

“One more word Todd, and you will be facing the business end of my blade before you finish your sentence.” Damian growled.

“You’re not even armed Demon Spawn.” Todd mocked.

“Tch, that's what you think. I’m always armed.” Damian tilted his head proudly.

“Jason, leave Damian alone. Damian no maiming your brothers.” Father stated in exasperation. 

Drake started chuckling. “That was more interesting than today's meeting by far.” He choked out between laughs. 

“Calm it down before our guests arrive.” Father said. “Also don’t let Alfred know you have weapons at the dinner table.” 

“No need Master Bruce, I am aware.” The previously mentioned butler says causing all of them to jump. 

Damian is then distracted by the arrival of Jagged Stone and Penny followed quickly by a cheerful Marinette. He is pleased by the brightening of Marinette's expression when she catches sight of him. The girl walked right up to him and kissed both cheeks in greeting. Damian felt the rush of blood to his face in response.

“Good evening Damian. How was your day?” Marinette asked politely.

“Much better now Angel.” Damian replied, smirking at the light flush that bloomed on Marinette's cheeks. The two exchanged small talk for several minutes before everyone moved to their seats. Damian efficiently took his place next to Marinette at the table, glaring at his brothers to keep them from commenting. He leaned a little into Marinette's space as they ate. “How was your day Angel?” He asked softly.

Marinette blushed lightly as she looked at him. “It was very productive, Tim’s suit is almost finished now. I just have to sew in the lining tonight and It will be ready for the final fitting. After that it's just a matter of top stitching everything down with the appropriate changes.” She was grinning brightly as she spoke, gesturing with her hands excitedly.

“That’s amazing Marinette, you’ve done that so quickly. Your efficiency is amazing, especially with your skill level.” Damian complimented her. 

“Thanks Dami, that means a lot.” Marinette smiled shyly. “I really hope you guys like them.” 

“I’m sure we’ll all love them Angel. Would you like to hang out after you finish working tonight?” Damian asked casually. He held his breath and tried not to fidget.

“Yes, that sounds nice. It shouldn’t take too long to sew in the linings, and I really shouldn’t work as late as I did last night.” Marinette said with a little bit of laughter at her lack of sleep. “You can come over while I finish if you want. It will probably be boring but I don’t mind having quiet company while I work.” She smirked a little. “Although some of the company I usually have has a hard time being quiet.” 

Damian recalled her friends and smiled agreeably. “I can envision that. Your friends don't seem like the unobtrusive type.” He said teasingly.

She giggled. “Chloe and Adrien usually aren’t, but Luka and Kagami are fairly quiet. Luka will play his guitar quietly and Kagami will read quietly unless she thinks I need to take a break for food or something.” 

“They seem like great friends. My best friend is a ball of Metropolis sunshine. I swear Jon never stops moving, or talking.” Damian added an exaggerated shudder for emphasis. Marinette laughed happily.

“He sounds like a wonderful friend as well. Cringing at your BFF’s antics is like a requirement in my mind. Trust me, Adrien has the worst puns.” Marinette leaned further into his space as she whispered conspiratorially. “Worse than that one diner.” 

“I find that difficult to believe  _ Habibti _ , Grayson has the worst puns.” Damian whispered back.

“Then we can’t let them meet.” Marinette replied in faux panic before bursting into giggles.

“Something interesting you two?” Selina purred out from across the table. 

Damian schooled his face into a blank mask and covered Marinette's mouth with his palm as the girl tried to stop giggling. “Unfortunately no, Marinette is simply amused at my misfortune of having to listen to pretentious windbags for the majority of the day.” Damian deflected easily, though his statement caused Marinette to shake with renewed laughter.

Selina smiled. “Dreadful.” She agreed. “I’m sure you boys set them straight, right Darling?” She turned to interrogate Father.

Father raised his eyebrows. “The board was certainly disappointed in our final decisions on the charitable contributions for the quarter.”

Drake laughed. “Same as every quarter. You’d think by now they would realize that the amount of donations we make isn't something they can influence. I think they are of the opinion that they can bore us into granting them a bigger profit, but that's not going to happen.” 

With the conversation successfully redirected Damian turns back to Marinette only to see her sharp eyes taking in the conversation. Even with his hand still covering her mouth the girl's focus is complete and her face expressive. Damian can tell the instant she has something to contribute, though he isn’t fast enough to remove his hand.

“Ewe,  _ Habibti, that's _ disgusting.” He groaned as she licked his hand.

She giggles again. “It's effective though.” She says gesturing to his now removed hand. With the attention on her she looks to the rest of the table. “What if you provided some sort of incentive to get the other board members to donate with you, like publicity?” Her professional tone and words derailed the odd look Father and Drake had been giving Damian for his outburst. 

“That could work Bruce. It would give more money to the Foundation by convincing them it is for their own benefit. We could present awards at a Gala along with asking for donations there. It might also stop the long winded arguments if we convince them they are getting more when in reality the money is still going into the Foundation.” Drake agreed with a calculated look on his face. The young CEO went to take his phone out.

“No phones at the table Master Tim.” Alfred scolded with a fond expression. “The idea will hold until the meal is over. Now please refrain from discussing business while we are eating.” 

“Apologies Alfred.” Father said as Drake sullenly tucked his phone back into his pocket. They continued the meal after that, but Damian could see the increased respect in the co CEO’s expressions when they looked at Marinette.

Damian himself was surprised by the girl's clever idea. It solved a number of problems at the same time without the use of blackmail or force, which was a difficult thing to accomplish. “How did you come up with that?” He whispered in her ear after checking that everyone was distracted.

Marinette smirked. “I run my own fashion line. Remember, I’ve been researching business tactics since I started. I’ve also spent the last several years tricking the most stubborn man in the fashion world to grant his son additional freedoms. And I’ve worked my way into the graces of the other two coldest personalities in Paris.” She took a sip of her water. “Tomoe Tursurgi and Audrey Bourgeois are not easy women to please, almost as difficult as Gabriel Agreste. In the past two and a half years I’ve managed to get to all three in some respect.” She smiled brightly at Damian. “Sometimes the best way to get what you want is to make it into something someone else wants, especially with coldhearted business people.” 

“That’s quite the strategy.” He agreed. “But how do you know any one method will work.” 

“Patience and observation, and honesty.” She tacked on. “I wanted my friends to get the love and freedom that they wanted and needed from their parents. Sometimes I fail, it's just a fact of life. But I’ve worked with what I had at the time to support the people I care about. The details are personal, but my friends and I support each other with everything, family included.” Her voice was soft, fragile, and Damian laid a gentle hand on her arm.

“I’m sorry I pushed.” He apologized. 

Marinette shook her head. “You didn’t push any further than I would let you, thank you for that.” 

“I shouldn’t have pushed anyways. I know how important deep friendships are.” Damian recalled the friendships he and his brothers each had in the hero community. “And how complicated that kind of support can be.” 

“Thank you for understanding.” She whispered, and the two of them sat in comfortable silence for the rest of the meal. Absorbing each other's presence with Damians hand still on Marinette's arm as he ate with his other hand.

When the meal was done Damian followed Marinette back to her room and they remained in the comfortable quiet as she finished sewing up Drakes suit. He made a mental note to let his brother know that he would be needed in the morning for a fitting before he left for work. 

Marinette drifted into absolute focus as she worked, her fingers checking over every stitch before she finally set the completed suit aside. Damian could tell that there were a few final features missing, but it looked amazing and he knew that his brother would be ecstatic. 

“It looks incredible Angel.” He said softly, still startling the girl who had been lost in thought. She blushed either at her lack of awareness, or the compliment.

“I still have to do the final fitting. Though at least with this I could do the main embroidery before the final fitting.” She looked conspiratorially at Damian. “For Jaggeds suit I did the embroidery after so he still hasn’t seen it. It has been torturing him.” She giggled mischievously. “I’m going to let him see it the day before the wedding, but he thinks I’m making him wait until the wedding. Mostly I just like to watch him squirm sometimes. A little payback for some last minute creative changes he's had me and Penny do.” She seemed practically gleeful at the notion of pranking her adopted uncle, and Damian couldn't help but find the expression adorable. 

“Marinette, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow for lunch?” He asked. His blood pressure rose as her expression shifted into shock. 

Then a brilliant smile took over her face. “That sounds amazing Damian, I would love to go on a date with you.” Her confident tone is tempered by the bright red on her face. 

“Lovely, I already have an idea where to go. You like the outdoors, correct?” He hoped that the flush was remaining off of his face.

“Yes, definitely.” Marinette nodded quickly.

Damian jerked his head in a nod. “Great, are you okay if I keep the specifics a surprise?” 

Marinette looked thoughtful for a second before coming to a conclusion. “Yes.” She said softly. “I trust you Damian Wayne.” And Damian felt his heart almost explode in his chest from the pressure.

He coughed. “Um, good. I think you’ll really like it  _ Habibti _ . And for the record Marinette Dupain Cheng, I don't trust easily, but I think I trust you.” 

Marinette smiled softly in response, and Damian felt like she understood the deeper meaning behind his words. It was a freeing feeling, to have someone know without him having to say it that they meant something to him. Usually Jon was the only one who could that easily translate his particular brand of emotional constipation. Even his family took more information and prompting to truly understand what he was feeling.

********

The next morning Damian was waiting excitedly for Marinette to come downstairs for breakfast. He already had told Drake that the CEO wasn’t to leave before he completed the fitting. Honestly he had done almost everything but stealing his brothers coffee and sitting on him to ensure he would remain within the manor. Todd kept giving him concerned looks.

Thankfully Grayson was still at Kori’s apartment and was not present to interrogate him for his odd behavior. However, Father, Selina and Alfred were also watching his behavior in amusement. Damian glared at his family as his eyes drifted across the room, ineffectively pinning all of them with his signature glare. When Marinette drifted in quietly Damian immediately handed the tired girl the second cup of coffee he had been guarding for the last several minutes. He had prepared it the same way he had seen Marinette do the first morning, and with relief he saw her gratefully sip at the warm drink until it was at least half empty. The girl remained slumped in her chair until her first cup was completely gone before looking up at him gratefully. 

“Thanks Dami.” She yawned. “You guys are really good at remembering how I take my coffee. Alfred did the same yesterday, I feel spoiled, but also caffeine.” 

Drake laughed and held his arm out for a fist bump. “Coffee is life.” He stated, causing Father to facepalm across the kitchen.

Damian smiled, which of course caused Todd to stare more intently through his head. “Alfred is magic, especially when it comes to food.” Damian confirmed as he ignored his older brothers staring. 

Marinette giggled. “Magic indeed.” She said. “Jason if you don’t move your face will get stuck like that.” She commented offhandedly. Drake laughed as Jason scowled at being called out.

“Shut it Replacement, I’m just shocked that the Demon is smiling. It's unnatural and I am concerned.” Todd defended himself.

Drake looked at Todd incredulously. “Can it Jason. The kid’s allowed to be happy sometimes.” He turned to Damian. “Since Dick isn’t here I’ll say it's nice to see you happy Damian.” Tim even looked sincere as he said it, and not even a little bit sleep deprived. 

“Thank you Drake.” Damian replied corgialy. It was unusual for his brothers, except Grayson, to be that sincere. He honestly wasn’t sure how to respond.

“But why?” Todd interrupted. Unfortunately showing his own familial concern in his usual method of insensitive interrogation. 

Damian stiffened in his position across from Marinette and felt her put a warm hand on his arm. The look she gave him was one of concern and understanding. It asked if he would like her to tell them or even to not let them know at all. The warmth Damian felt from this simple act of understanding was incredible. Damian shook his head slightly, he could handle his obnoxious brother. 

Damian took a breath and felt the warm hand on his arm give a supportive squeeze. “I asked Marinette to go on a date with me last night, she said yes.” 

Marinette took over. “We are going on a lunch date together today.” 

There was a round of cheers and congratulations around the room. It was obvious that his family had been anticipating this and was excited. The additional cheers from the doorway of the kitchen though were surprising. Apparently Marinette's parents and the soon to be Stones had entered the kitchen to their announcement. Damian was unsurprised to see money changing hands among his family, but the exchange reaching into Marinette's family did surprise him. 

Whatever they had bet upon the two teens watched as Drake and Todd both handed money to Alfred, Father handed a small stack of bills to a smug Selina. Then Damian saw Marinette laugh as Jagged and Tom both handed their own bills over to the waiting Sabine and Penny.   
“Mister Grayson now owes me twenty.” Sabine announced proudly. “I told him it wouldn’t take the whole week.” 

Marinette shared a look with Damian and they both just shrugged at each other. “Tim I need to do your fitting before you go to work.” Marinette announced as she finished off a scone that Damian hadn’t even seen her grab.

Drake laughed. “I know, Demon Spawn let me know.” 

Damian growled at his brother. The hand on his arm gave a gentle squeeze in thanks. 

“Good. We can go now then.” Marinette announced before getting up from her seat. Damian followed behind her as she skillfully grabbed his brother and towed him from the room. As he walked past Marinette's family he got several pats on the back and, ‘good job son’s’ from the caring family. It was nice to know that Marinette's family approved of him asking her on a date. 

The trio made their way to Marinette's rooms and Damian watched in amusement as Marinette gave his brother a pile of clothes and pushed him into the attached bathroom. She then laid the jacket out on the bed along with the tie Alfred had brought and the matching pocket square. As soon as Drake stepped out of the bathroom Marinette descended on him. The shirt Alfred had brought was certainly expensive and well fit, and it was light brown rather than white. Marinette carefully watched Drake put on the mostly finished jacket. 

Damian did not know what she was looking for but the single minded focus was impressive. She checked over all of the seams and the fit of the jacket both buttoned and unbuttoned. Marinette swiftly added the tie and pocket square to the outfit and made notes in her sketchbook. He was impressed by how quickly she took down all of the measurements and was telling both of them that she would only have to make a few adjustments. 

Marinette then took out a pincushion that she wrapped around her wrist before going round and quickly pinning the changes into place. To Damian it looked as if she was dancing around Drake, but none of the pins were placed by mistake. As Marinette was finishing the pins and helping Drake out of the jacket Damian felt his phone buzz in his pocket. At the same time Marinette's phone let out a blaring alarm. 

Marinette sighed and put the jacket on her bed before pulling out her phone. “Ahh, poor Monsieur Cesaire.” She mutters before turning back to the boys. Damian is now sure that the buzz in his pocket was the akuma alert he had downloaded the day before. “Tim, go ahead and change. I'll get these changes done this morning.” She smiled at Damian. “I’ll finish these up and then get ready Dami.” She took the pile of clothes that Tim handed back to her and laid them out on her desk. She then pulled up what looked to be a Paris news report on her computer and started sewing. 

“We’ll leave you to it.” Drake said. “It looks amazing by the way.” 

Marinette looked at them with a smile before turning back to her sewing machine with pins sticking out of her teeth in an adorable manner. 

“Come on Demon Spawn.” His brother said, pulling him out into the hall. Once the door was closed Damian shook off the hold. “Most girls want a little time to get ready for a date Damian.” He said.

“That doesn’t mean you had to drag me Drake.” Damian huffed. “She was watching the news cast on the current akuma attack.” He said.

“Why don't we go pull it up and see what we can get.” Drake offered. Damian shrugged and let his brother drag him back to his room. Drake had the news up as soon as he sat down at the computer. A reporter named Nadja Chamack was reporting from the top of a bus on an akuma who apparently went by Animan.

_ “Animan is currently being faced by the combined forces of Chat Noir and Honey Bee. Wait a minute here comes Azhdaha and Ladybug. It looks like our heroine has a plan to face this akuma. No sign of Basilisk yet and it appears that Animan is rapidly shifting into different shapes to avoid capture.” _

The scene in the frame shifts to show more of the battle but Damian can see several more reporters getting far too close to the battle. One of the reporters appeared to be the girl in charge of the blog Marinette had directed him to. She had her phone out and was grinning excitedly as she got even closer to the fight. 

“Is that girl stupid?” Drake asks. 

“She runs the blog Marinette directed me to the other day. I think her name was Alya Cesaire.” Damian replied with his eyes still fixed on the screen.

“Cesaire? Wasn’t that the name Marinette said before we left?” Drake opened a new browser on his second monitor. “Yep, according to the Akuma record Animan is Otis Cesaire, and he is the blogger's father. He works at a zoo and is apparently very sensitive to people mistreating or insulting the animals.” Drake analyzed.

“Mood.” Damian said distractedly.

“Did you just say, Mood?” Drake asked in shock.

“Shut up.” Damian spat. “I blame Jon.”

“Too funny.” Drake said with a laugh, ignoring his protest.

“Pay attention, Ladybug has a plan.” Damian interrupts and the two vigilantes watch as the apparently untrained heroine orchestrates a flawless takedown of the villain with the help of what looks like a tire iron. The heroes easily take the bracelet from a paralyzed gorilla and destroy it. 

When the butterfly exits Ladybugs yoyo it is pure white and the gorilla reverts back into a very confused man. As soon as the heroine throws the tire iron in the air all of the damage is reversed. You could also see the seemingly absent Basilisk joining the group.

“ _ There you have it folks. Another day saved by Ladybug, Chat Noir and the Miraculous team. _ ” Nadja Chamack announces. “ _ Ladybug any words for the citizens of Paris? _ ” The reporter asks as soon as she approaches the heroes who appear to be celebrating a battle won.

“ _ Actually yes Nadja. _ ” Ladybug begins. Damian can see the cat hero put his hand over his mouth with amusement in his slitted eyes. “ _ I would like to thank the citizens of Paris for staying off the streets and letting us heroes do our job. I can not express how useful it is that the responsible citizens of Paris are willing to take a step back and let us defeat these akumas in a much safer fashion. _ ” Ladybug said with a brilliantly pointed smile. Her team behind her looked varying degrees of smug or amused.

“Wow, that was brutal.” Drake said. 

“Shh, I don't think she’s done.” Damian says. 

“ _ Let me hand you off to Azhdaha Nadja. _ ” Ladybug said with a smile.

The camera shifts to the girl in a red dragon suit, the hero with the elemental powers. “ _ Citizens of Paris remember how important it is to take control of your own mental wellbeing. If you are in emotional distress seek help. Please do not attempt to suffer alone. We all must be there for each other during this troubling time. And remember that this will end, Hawkmoth will not reign forever. For now listen to the akuma sirens and take cover during attacks. That will be all. _ ” The serious hero finishes with a nod before handing the stage back to the leader.

_ (My sketch of Kagami as Azhdaha.) _

_“Okay sorry guys but we gotta run. Bug Out_.” Ladybug says cheerfully before she and the rest of her team quickly escape the growing pool of press.  
The two brothers looked in shock as the reporter signed off as well. “That went from passive aggressive to intensely sad really quickly.” Drake said.

“They didn't even seem as mad with that reporter. Did you see some of the other ones they would have definitely gotten in their faces if the two male heroes hadn't looked like that behind them.” Damian grimaced.

“Yeah, but the Bee seemed like she was the muscle too.” Drake commented. Both knew how pushy reporters and cops could be towards female heroes. The two male Parisian heroes probably knew this as well if their behavior was anything to go on. They let the ladies take the stage but they were clearly backing them up.

“They are a solid team. And they have a decent strategy on managing the press with the skills they have. They use the community's support and set up one of the less obtrusive reporters as the role model for behavior, but they make sure that everyone knows what they expect during an attack.” Damian evaluated. “The reporters are still there but they wait until after the fight to ask questions. The videos I saw from when this started were much worse.”

“I’m honestly kinda impressed by these guys. Their set up is decent and their teamwork is amazing, they are definitely close to each other.” Drake said. “They remind me of us. The whole communicating without thinking is our specialty.” 

“It’s probably the only way to deal with that situation. If they didn’t have each other that type of pressure would be unmanageable.” Damian's voice was tight with the memories of his time in the League.

“You're going to help them aren’t you, even if B doesn’t assign you?” Drake asked softly.

Damian nodded. “I have the skills to help them, and if Marinette has been dealing with this for four years already.” He shudders. “She’s so colorful and happy, I don’t want to see her break from this if I can help.”

“Not to mention you could be closer to her in Paris.” Drake teased him.

“Honestly, I don’t think I could handle seeing her leave for a situation like that if I’m not able to be with her. It hits too close to home. If I can’t help somehow I’ll go crazy.” He sighed. “Emotional support can only go so far, especially from a distance. I want to be with her as it is. Knowing that she has to deal with that much stress only makes my need to support her greater.”

Drake could only remain silent as he processed Damians confession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So this chapter we get to see an akuma fight from an outsider's perspective. I didn’t go into much detail with the fight this time because that wasn't something Damian was focusing on in his observations. He already got a decent idea of their physical capabilities and techniques from his research. What Damian is looking at here is the team's dynamics with themselves and the public. The Bat Family might work mainly in the dark but they team up with the GCPD and other more Daylight centered heroes. 
> 
> Also, Marinette is 16 currently as noted in the first chapter. Hawkmoth has been active since she was 13 which based on the Origins episode was probably during the fall. I’m saying based on that Marinette is probably close to turning 17, most likely before school starts again. Theoretically this puts Adrien and Marinette being friends for a little under a year before Befana happens, Marinette's 14th birthday. So basically Marinette got her miraculous just after she turned 13, and is currently a few months shy of 17. I have a timeline in my head but essentially Marinette’s birthday is towards the end of the summer before school starts. So at this point when the characters say that Hawkmoth has been active for 4 years they are rounding up a few months. Hope this helps anyone confused about the timeline, also I’m roughly using the timetable for American school systems to keep it straight in my brain without a huge spreadsheet.


	12. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our little lovebirds finally go on their first 'Official' date. Damian is pulling out all the stops for this one. He is certainly not going to risk his idiotic brothers interfering with taking Marinette on a perfect date. Someone else might gate crash though. (You can guess. I won't be offended. Hint-It won't surprise any of you.)

As soon as she stepped through the portal Marinette rushed to detransform and get started on the alterations. The changes did not take too long to make and then she was rushing to find an outfit for her date. Twenty minutes later her bed was covered in a pile of clothes and there was a knock on the door. Marinette walked over and opened her door to see her Maman and Penny. She took a breath in relief and ushered both of them inside. 

“We’re waiting for one more ma petite.” Her Maman said before she went back to the door to let in Selina. 

“We thought you would appreciate the additional insight.” Penny teased gently. 

Marinette pulled all three women into a hug. “Thank you thank you thank you. I don’t know what to wear, I’m a fashion designer, why don’t I know what to wear.” She whined loudly before collapsing on her pile of clothing.

The three women exchanged knowing looks before apparently electing someone to speak. “It’s your first date with someone you like a lot. Being nervous is normal for someone your age.” Penny spoke first.

“And it's understandable that you would be nervous to start dating someone after what happened last time.” Her Maman whispered understandingly. 

“I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen that boy be nice to anyone right off the bat. And he has Never acted the way he has with you.” Selina swore. “You’re good for him and the whole family knows it. Bruce and I will be keeping the rest of the kids out of the way today, I promise.”

“I didn't realize that was a potential issue.” Marinette giggled with a raised eyebrow.

“Well let's get to the real problem then. Selina knows what Damian has planned so she's here to veto anything that wont fit the date.” Penny clapped her hands, getting to the logistics.

Marinette watched as her Maman pulled out several outfits and presented them to Selina before handing a few of the cleared ones to Marinette to try on. The first one was skinny jeans and a nice tank blouse with a cardigan. Penny vetoed that as too casual. The second was short pink overalls with a blue long sleeve shirt. Selina and her Maman both vetoed that outfit as being too cold and childish respectively. 

The last outfit they decided on was a knee length cotton dress she had made last summer. It had a pretty box neckline and flounced skirt that billowed when she moved. The best part was it was bright ladybug red with subtle black stitching. They decided to pair it with black leggings and the pair of red Doc Marten combat boots Marinette had gotten as a gift from Chloe, she had gotten a pair for Kagami as well and herself yellow ones. Then they found the black jacket she had designed two falls ago with Chloe as a matching bug and bee set. It had an asymmetrical zipper and red stitching with wings stylized on the back to look like an insect. Along the bottom edge right above her signature was the word Bug in cursive. Marinette then sat as Selina did her hair in an artfully messy bun and Penny did a bit of light makeup. Her Maman handed her a Ladybug themed purse to finish off the look and the Ladybug necklace Adrien had given her for Christmas made out of tiny rubies and black diamonds.

“You look amazing Marinette.” Penny gushed when they were done.

“Little Damian won’t know what hit him darling, you look absolutely perfect.” Selina complimented with a purr akin to Adrien when he's pleased.

“Will you ladies give us a few?” Her Maman asked quietly as she looked at Marinette with tears in her eyes. Both women gave Marinette a reassuring pat on the shoulder before leaving the mother and daughter alone. “ _You always seem more confident in red ma petite._ ” She said smiling. “ _Your father and I have always believed in you, and I think Damian will too._ ”

Marinette looked at her Maman in shock. “ _Maman?_ ” She questioned.

“ _Ma petite, he looks at you like you made everything good in the world. Like your Papa looked at me when we met. That is a strong love, a pure love. I think Selina is right and you are good for him, but I think he is also good for you._ ” She kissed her forehead gently and Marinette tried not to cry and ruin her makeup.

“ _Thank you Maman._ ” Marinette said, leaning to brush her lips gently over her Mamans cheek. “ _I think Daiman will be good for me too_.” She whispered.

“ _Much better than that good for nothing Felix._ ” Her Maman bit out viciously causing Marinette to laugh. Her Maman had been enraged so badly Marinette was surprised that she hadn’t been akumatized when she and Felix ‘broke up’. 

“Maman, that's enough.” She laughed. “Lets go, I don't want to make Damian wait too long.”

“Of course dear don’t forget your purse.” Her Maman replied sweetly, all vengeance gone from her tone.

Shaking her head in amusement, Marinette transferred her wallet and toiletries over into the new purse, along with Kaalki’s glasses and Tikki, who gave her a thumbs up as she snuck into the bag. She also slipped a few cookies inside for her kwami to snack on. With that done Marinette joined her Maman at the door and opened it to find a very emotional mountain standing in the way.

“Papa!” Marinette said in surprise. Sure enough her Papa was standing there blocking the doorway with a teary eyed expression and a big smile.

“My little girl is all grown up.” He cried before picking up both women in a bear hug.

“Tom, don’t mess up Marinette's hair darling.” Her Maman says gently. Thankfully before the tight hug causes them to run out of air.

“Oh, right sorry girls.” Her Papa saidas he set them back down on the floor. “You look beautiful Marinette.” He said with a smile before leading them back to the foyer.

When they arrived Marinette’s eyes were drawn straight to Damian. He was waiting in the small room with an amused expression as he suffered an apparent shovel talk from an unusually serious Jagged Stone. What Marinette noticed more though was his outfit. Whether intentionally manipulated by Selina or not the two teens matched. Damian was wearing nice black jeans and short combat boots that appeared to be well worn, though they were certainly well cared for. He had paired it with a dark red sweater that complimented his darker complexion. Considering Marinette's outfit and the lack of jacket Marinette could deduce that they were going to be in a mild but cool environment for their date. Either way the other boy looked amazing with the way his green eyes glowed in amused respect as he listened to her adopted Uncles warnings.

She knew the exact moment that Damian spotted her enter the room because his attention was suddenly entirely on her, Uncle Jagged’s interrogation forgotten. His expression shifted from practiced disinterest to awe as his eyes landed on her. Marinette’s cheeks were warm as she walked down the stairs between her parents. Faintly she took note of Penny and apparently the returned Dick taking pictures of the scene, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

Damian walked to meet her as she reached the bottom of the steps. He held out a hand and bowed slightly when she placed hers in it. “You look amazing Angel, truly radiant.” Marientte was sure that she was blushing the color of her dress now.

“Thank you Dami, you look very handsome as well.” Marinette said quietly.

Damian smirked slightly. “Someone apparently told my brothers it was imperative that I wore red.” His smile softened as he brushed his thumb across the back of her hand. “Looks like the annoyance was worth it.” He whispered.

She felt a shiver run up her spine. The sincerity and playfulness in Damians voice was small but obvious to Marinette. It also didn’t help her nerves that he was wearing her colors. When her friends did that it was supportive and platonic, an inside joke among teammates. When Damian wore them it was attractive and downright unfair. 

Despite Marinette's stunned silence Damian used his hand to draw her down the remaining few steps. He even nodded in respect to her parents before looking at Marinette with disguised concern. “ _Habibti_ , are you okay?” He whispered.

Marinette shook herself. “Yes, sorry Dami. Although it's not my fault you're so distracting.” She replied cheekily, satisfied with the return of brightness to Damians eyes. 

“I will endeavor to be less so Angel.” He teased.

“Not possible.” She muttered, though by the dry chuckle Damian heard her.

“I had Alfred pull a car around. Unless you are worried about my driving skills I thought I would drive us to our destination.” He began with a soft understanding look. Marinette appreciated that he gave her the option rather than deciding for her.

Marinette smiled brightly up at him. “I trust you Dami.” She replied with the same softness. Letting her words carry an additional weight.

She could tell that their families were cooing around her as the two interacted. Damian must have picked up on her growing discomfort with the attention, or decided that they had enough pictures for today. He tucked her hand into his elbow and drew her out to a waiting car, it looked to be a two door black sports car with tinted windows. 

“It's a little more low key than some of our family's other vehicles.” Damian whispered in her ear, his breath blowing over the shell of her ear softly.

“This is low key?” Marinette asked breathlessly.

Damian smirked. “Unfortunately yes. My father is a fan of ostentatious vehicles.” He sounded exasperated.

Marinette giggled slightly. “I’m beginning to see how Bruce and Jagged are friends.” She said conspiratorially into his ear. 

His responding chuckle warmed her heart as he escorted her around to the passenger door. Damian made sure that her seat belt was done properly before moving around to the drivers side. “Apologies, I’ve grown a little obsessive about certain safety measures.” He said shyly when he moved into her space.

“No apologies necessary Damian. Honestly I’m not in cars much, and these seat belts seem a little different than the ones I’ve used.” Marinette soothed. 

“Consider it my father's fault. He prefers the more specialized harnesses in his sport cars. Remnants of a wild youth, he would have us believe.” Damian revealed as he helped her with the indeed overcomplicated harnessing system. “Personally I think it was to make sure that us kids were secure while using the vehicles.” 

Marinette giggled as he finished. “I think that's sweet.” She said, and Damian smiled at her as he strapped himself in. 

“Perhaps, Father would have people believe him careless, and in some ways he can be. But he is very overprotective of his children.” Damian seemed pensive.

Marinette put her hand on his arm to stop him as he went to start the car. “It is very obvious that Bruce, and Selina, love all of you. One thing I’ve learned from my friends is that not all parents show their love the same way. Your father does show his love though, and it makes me glad for your family.” She kept her hand on Damians arm as the boy drifted into thought before starting the car.

He moved to grab her hand in his quickly and give it a squeeze. “Thank you Marinette, your words mean a lot.” Damian said before they settled into a gentle quiet and he pulled the car out of the driveway.

Damian pointed out landmarks that the two had passed during their motorcycle ride. Marinette shyly took out her small sketchbook to outline some of the landmarks for later inspiration. When she glanced over to Damian the boy was smiling at her, so she decided that her drawing must not bother him. 

He must have caught her concerned glances because he spoke once she reached a lull in her drawing. “I like to draw too.” Damian began. “Although I mostly paint.” He said.

Marinette filled with artistic curiosity. “What do you draw?” She asked excitedly.

“Mostly animals, some landscape and architecture. I've only recently started drawing people.” He seemed a little more tentative talking about his art. 

Marinette tilted her head at him before sliding her book back into her purse. “What do you like about painting?” She prompted. 

He seemed to relax since she didn’t ask to see his work. Marinette knew better than most how personal artwork could be, though she let people wear hers. “It’s calming in a meditative way. It isn’t destructive and it lets me capture things so I don't forget them.” 

She nodded. “I understand. Most of my work I try to capture something. Usually it's the essence of the person, but sometimes it's a place or an idea, something inspiring.” She giggled. “Though my landscape sketching needs work. I am horrible at backgrounds, especially trees.” 

“You seem pretty good at buildings.” Damian commented.

“Thank you Dami, but it's mostly boxes.” She replied. “And I don't usually design for animals so the only animal I can currently draw is Fang.”

“You design clothes for a crocodile?” Damian laughed.

“”Yes.” Marinette stated confidently. “Fang is a sophisticated alligator I might add.”

Damian kept laughing, though his control of the car did not waver. “And what kind of clothes does an alligator wear?”

“Mostly accessories to match Jagged for a show. Although I have done a few matching jackets to compliment the ties and hats.” Her voice was serious, which of course continued Damians laughter.

“Truly inspired Angel.” Damian complimented when he calmed down.

Marinette blushed lightly before coughing. “When did you start drawing?”

Damian turned the car easily down another street before answering. “It was a necessary skill I learned fairly young, but I didn’t start enjoying it until I came to live with my father. That was also when I took up painting, it helped me find my place.” 

“I can understand that. Drawing is one of my favorite things, and I have friends that have been able to help me improve. Art in general is really important in my mind as a sort of expression, plus it's important as a fashion designer to see the art in everything.” Marinette gestures at the world widely with her hands.

“What do you mean by everything?” Damian said curiously.

“Well nature, history, buildings. One of my favorite pieces for Kagami was meant to reflect her fencing attire while being more casual. I like to take people's personalities, like Uncle Jagged, and over the past four years I’ve done quite a bit with the superheroes of Paris.” Marinette grinned thinking about all the various commissions she had made for her friends to reflect their alter egos.

“That’s amazing Marinette. It's really astonishing that you can draw inspiration from so many places.” Damian truly did seem influenced, perhaps it was the artist in him. 

Marinette just smiled at him and prompted him about his favorite styles of painting and drawing. Fairly soon they were pulling into a parking space outside of a large walled building. Damian was quick to get out of the car and walk around to help her get out. Marinette was thankful for the hand considering how low to the ground the car was, she would have hated to trip over her own feet in the middle of a date. 

Damian took a large basket and a folded blanket out of the back of the car before locking it. He offered the blanket to her for a moment to flip to another key and walked over to the wrought iron gate in the wall. The key easily opened the gate and Damian ushered her inside. They went through one more gate that was protected by a pair of security guards who only nodded to Damian and herself politely before letting them both through. 

Marinette was filled with confusion about the building they were entering. She also attempted to figure out why she had a large soft blanket in her arms as Damian continued to carry the basket. Her questions slipped away as soon as they entered the final gate into a beautiful garden. 

“Dami?” She questioned in awed shock. Her fingers were already itching to pull out her sketchbook or to run over and touch the flowers. Marinette had found an increased affinity for plants after her extended use of the Creation miraculous, a fairly normal side effect Tikki assured her.

Damian chuckled lightly. “Welcome to the Wayne Botanical Gardens _habibti_.” He murmured into her ear from behind her after he shut the gate.

“Dami it's beautiful. Thank you so much.” Marinette whispered. She was too nervous to turn around and face him so she walked over to the nearest flowering plant and took a delicate inhale. The flowers smelled amazing, and she could feel the life around her. She could also feel Tikki practically vibrating in her purse with excitement, either for her or from being surrounded by so many plants.

“I take it, my surprise is well received Angel.” Damian approached. “In which case I would like to mention I also had Alfred pack us a picnic lunch.” He held out the large basket with one hand. 

Marinette squealed. “This is absolutely perfect Damian.” She said rushing to give him a strong hug around the middle. A little too late Marinette remembered to loosen up and not use her full strength, though Damian seemed not to mind her tight hug.

Once Marinette let him go they laid out the blanket on the ground in a flat spot of the garden and Damian began to take things out of the basket. He first took out a small speaker which he hooked up to his phone to play soft music. Unsurprisingly the first song was Jagged Stone. Then he started taking out small containers of food and some plates and silverware. He also took out two glasses and a small jug of juice. 

Marinette whistled. “Wow Alfred really went all out.” She commented.

Damian blushed lightly. “I actually gave him a list.” He mumbled. 

Marinette's heart warmed hearing that he put that much more effort into planning this. Soft smiles stayed on both of their lips as Damian pointed out the different dishes and they settled into calm conversation as they ate.

“You know, I could give you a tour of the grounds at the manor later this week. Our gardens there don't have as much variety, but they are still beautiful.” He said shyly as they ate.

Her return smile was light and cheerful. “That would be lovely Dami, though I hope you plan on giving me a tour of this lovely garden before we leave.” 

“Of course.” Damian answered with a smirk. They finished off a good portion of the food before Damian stood up. With the air of a boy given far to many etiquette lessons he held his hand down for her to grab. “May I have this dance fair lady.” He requested formally.

Finally noticing that the music had shifted to a slower song Marinette blushed and slid her hand into his open palm. “I would be honored kind gentleman.” She giggled as he pulled her up in one motion.

Damian obviously knew how to dance though he didn’t lead her through any of the steps that she remembered having Chloe, Adrien, and Kagami teach her before she left. Marinette hadn’t wanted to trip over her own feet, and Luka’s only advice was to ‘let the music lead her’, which did nothing to prevent her from stepping on people's toes.

Marinette didn’t get close to landing on Damians feet though. He easily guided her around the small space while avoiding the hazards that they left on the ground. It was nice, Marinette thought, to lean into Damian and feel the music as he guided her through simple but unarranged steps. It was small and slow on their tiny dance floor, and she felt that they could do so much more given the space. But for this little moment their small dance was perfectly intimate. 

“Awe, look Red. The little Wayne boy is on a date.” A female voice cheerfully interrupted.

Immediately Marinette found herself spun around and pressed against the wall with Damian in front of her. It was sudden enough that without her years as Ladybug she would be dazed. Damian seemed tense in front of her. His spine a rigid line as he took an obviously protective stance with his back to her. Marinette placed a soft hand to the small of his back to ground them both before turning to take in the full scene. Just then a second voice spoke.

“Harles you ruined their moment.” Came from the presumably titled Red.

“Opps, sorry you guys were just so cute.” The first voice said with a hint of chagrin. 

Marinette was still stuck taking in the scene from over the shoulder of a tense Damian. She herself was a little shocked by who their date crashers were. Standing in front of them were the female power couple also known as the Gotham city Sirens. Red, or Poison Ivy was wearing a sundress made of what Marinette assumed to be plants over her pale green skin. Harley Quin was wearing a simple pair of jean shorts and a cute summer blouse tie dye in red and blue. Both women had on simple shoes, ankle boots for Ivy and mismatch blue and red converse for Harley. Marinette loved it.

“I love your outfits.” Marinette said before immediately receiving a side eye from Damian. She kinda hated her lack of brain to mouth filter sometimes, though it usually only acted up with clothes, or when Hawkmoth was being especially irritating.

“Really Angel?” Damian sighed under his breath.

Marinette shrugged. She was a fashion designer, it was kinda her thing. “Sorry.” She murmured, though not very sincerely. Marinette had done her research on Gotham, and the Sirens were more antiheros now than true villains. Plus so far they hadn't been threatening.

Ivy looked closer at Marinette even as she was pushed further behind Damian. “Gotta say that's a new one, Little Flower. You got a name?” 

Marinette gave her internal debate for self preservation a shove to the back of her head. Her gut feeling was more useful anyway. “Marinette.” She answered with a bright smile. “I’m a fashion designer and I love the way you wove the flowers into the vines. I’m a big fan of nature but I can never quite get the same depth out of fabric flowers and real ones aren’t very practical for most clothing.”

“Oooo Red she’s adorable.” Harley cheered as she clapped her hands. “Do me, do me.”

Marinette giggled and poked Damian lightly in the side to move him a little. She let the boy remain in front of her, but made it clear that she wanted to see. “I like the tie dye, it pairs well with your hair and shoes, though you could add a little accent to the shorts if you really wanted to carry the theme, but I think it is more understated the way it currently is.” 

The ex-villain clapped her hands again as she jumped around. “Best date ever Red. I never meet anyone new who gets my style.” 

The other Siren also smiled a little. “That was pretty insightful Marigold, and honest.”

“Thank you.” Marinette said politely. “And I get that with a lot of people, especially my clients.” 

“Marinette.” Damian growled in warning. 

“Damian.” Marinette said cheerfully. “As far as my research told me Harley and Ivy have been helping in Gotham rather than attacking for quite some time. Is that wrong?” 

Damian growled again. Harley and Ivy seemed to be watching the interaction with vast amusement. “They were criminals.” He said, and Marinette rolled her eyes.

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence Baby Wayne.” Harley drawled in mock hurt.

“Dami, they aren’t bad people, and they’re trying to make up for their past. How can they do that if no one gives them the chance?” Marinette whispers to him, softly in his ear but still loud enough that she's sure the two women heard her.

Damian sighs in defeat, but he takes her hand in his and pulls her over to their blanket before gesturing the two Sirens to sit as well.

“You are so sweet Marigold. How did the Ice Prince of Gotham snatch you up?” Ivy drawled as she sat down. 

“Reds’ right, you're a sweetie pie. And no offense sugar but you don't sound like you're from around here.” Harley added.

Marinette giggled as Damian growled. “I’m here for my Uncle’s wedding. And Damian is amazing, he’s been so nice to be around especially so far from home.” 

Damian seemed to settle a bit at that. Looking at her in surprise as she squeezed the hand she was holding gently. “That is kind of you to say Angel.” Damian whispered.

Harley cooed over the two of them as they spoke before Ivy quieted her down. “Sorry that we crashed your date. Harley and I sometimes come in here to be around the plants.” The former botanist smirks. “It’s a pretty romantic atmosphere right?” She asks.

Marinette and Damian both blush brilliantly, and Damian seems to grit his teeth a little too. Marinette can imagine the strong personalities of the two former criminals isn’t something Damian usually enjoys. She gives his hand another tight squeeze. “That's what I thought when we got here. It’s pretty amazing really, and I’m from the city of love.” Marinette said as she rubbed her thumb across the back of Damians hand.

Harley suddenly looked very serious and leaned into their space. “The little rich boy hasn’t tried anything with you sugar right? Cause that ain’t gonna fly no matter who his daddy is.” The woman was serious and Marinette truly believed that if Damian had been anything less than a perfect gentleman that he would have faced the two woman's wrath.

Marinette just exchanged a soft look with Damian and watched his face melt from annoyance into the soft adoration he had been treating her with all day. “Dami has been a perfect gentleman this entire week, and I know the difference, though I appreciate the concern.” 

Harley leaned back, satisfied. “Just wanted to make sure. Ladies have to look out for each other after all.” 

“We should leave the two of you to your date now that Harles is satisfied.” Ivy prompted her girlfriend to do a backwards summersault to a standing position.

“It was nice to see you outside of a hostage situation Baby Wayne.” Harley teased, getting another small growl from the boy in question.

“Hope your daddy doesn't mind us sneaking in for dates every now and then. I really love the plants he has here.” Ivy said before making a vine lift the two of them up through the glass roof and out of the building.

Marinette sat in the quiet for a moment. “Well that was interesting.” She joked finally.

Next to her Damian was shaking slightly. “I don't know wether that was amazing or stupid but either way that was the most friendly I’ve seen the Sirens be with anyone without a good reason.” Now she could tell that the shaking was from suppressed laughter. “I wanna yell at you and hug you, but first why on earth were you so calm? They were two of the most dangerous villains in Gotham up until a few years ago.” 

Marientte gave him a sad smile. “One thing I learned from akuma’s. Most villains hide some pain, not all, but a lot of them. Treating them like people when you can is sometimes the only defense against that pain causing them to lash out again. Sure they weren’t possessed, but they were manipulated, or hurt, or just desperate enough to resort to causing others pain. I’ve talked to enough akuma victims to know that they accepted the possession while in pain, but that doesn’t make it their fault, and they shouldn’t be judged for that.” She looked towards the now closed skylight. “They are different from akuma victims, but they are still trying to move past their pain. Arguably it's harder for them because the things that tempt them to darkness still remain, whether it be their powers or their memories.”

“That was incredibly insightful.” Damian spoke softly. “I guess I never thought of it like that. Thank you for showing me a different side of people Marinette. This week you have taught me more than I have learned in years.” He twisted around to face her completely on the blanket, taking her other hand in his as he looked her in the eyes. Marinette saw the honest emotion there behind his stoic exterior, and she wanted to tear up. “Thank you for giving me this chance to get to know you better.” He said softly.

“Thank you for being gentle and honest with me at every turn.” Marinette murmured back, leaning to press her forehead against his as some tears fell free.

“That shouldn't be something to thank me for _habibti_ , it is nothing less than you deserve.” Damian rested his free hand on her shoulder for comfort. “You deserve to be wooed in grand gestures and soft words. I can only hope to be able to give you what you deserve.” He kept a comforting touch as he spoke. “You are kind and brave, considerate, strong and incredibly talented. You treat people with so much respect and demand the same effortlessly in return just by existing. I have never met anyone who understands me like you do so easily. Being around you is like a breath of fresh air when I have been trapped in a vacuum. You are an amazing woman Marinette Dupain Cheng.”

Marinette let the tears fall, unable to hold them back any longer. This boy, this man, understood her better now in less than a week than her closest friend did after almost a year of working together. She was awed and afraid by this, though her instincts and heart drew Marinette to Damian forcefully. 

“Why do you feel like you do not deserve to be treasured my Angel?” Damian whispered, and she froze.

_(Here is the sketch from my Tumblr for this chapter.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So It has been a while guys, and I have a reason or two. One - editing was difficult for this one because I wanted the date to flow naturally along with the conversation, but that is much more obvious in the next chapter. Two - I finally got a tumblr and found a bunch more fics that weren’t on AO3. I’m weak, and some of them were Really good, and dark. As you are probably aware by now this is a fluff fic, reading dark fics is not beneficial to my writing monkey. I hope this chapter is worth the wait for you guys.  
> Thank you for all your wonderful comments and kudos.


	13. Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian gets to hear about Marinette's past. And we have another unexpected, and partially unwanted, guest.

Damian held the crying girl in his arms loosely. One hand on hers and the other drifting over her shoulder and back. “Why do you feel like you do not deserve to be treasured my Angel?” He whispered almost inaudibly under his breath. Too late he realized he had spoken aloud as she tensed and shifted in his arms.

“I should tell you.” Marinette murmurs. “You should know.”

“Not if you're not comfortable telling me  _ Habibti _ . It is not my intention to make you feel pressured.” Damian spoke softly to not scare the girl, barely noticing the endearment slip out in his first language.

Marinette smiled a little, just a tilting up of the corners of her mouth. “Honesty is important in a relationship. So is communication. I learned both of those the hard way. You could say my dating history kinda sucks, but I got two of my best friends out of it so there's that at least.” The painful amusement in her voice spoke volumes more than her words.

Damian soothed his hand along her arm as he waited for her to begin. As curious as he was, and as capable he was of getting the story out of her faster, he wanted her to share on her own terms. 

“My first crush was Adrien. It was a ginormous miscommunication before we figured out the crush was mutual.” Her hands flailed around wildly as she spoke. “Kinda. We only really tried dating for a short period of time before we figured out that our affection for each other was platonic, like siblings. The whole thing was a mess.” She laughed dryly, obviously over the emotions from the event. “While that was happening Luka kinda had a crush on me, and we hung out a few times that could have been counted as dates if I wasn’t so hung up on Adrien. He’s kinda like an older brother in a lot of respects.”

“I’m guessing they aren’t what you were referring to?” Damian said gently.

“No, some of my more general issues can be traced back to school for more... complicated reasons, but there is a reason I have problems with dating. My first and only true boyfriend was only using me.” Marinette’s voice was strong, but Damian's hand tensed tightly around hers in anger. “He was actually Adrien’s maternal cousin, Felix. We dated for about three months before I found out he was just using me to get close to Adrien and Gabriel to steal some heirloom. I had no idea that entire time, and he had the gall to say we could ‘continue our arrangement’ when he returned back to London.” She included air quotes in her explanation. “I dumped him on the spot but it was messy. There was a lot of yelling and threats, on my end.” She took a deep breath and proceeded to slowly let it out.

Damian felt a little amusement at that considering how she had been handling his family. “That was very brave of you Angel, and he was an idiot for treating you like that.” Damian comforted her. 

“I slapped him.” Marinette giggled. “Twice. Then I scared him so bad that he ran straight out of Paris.” She seemed proud of herself before growing pensive again. “So now you know my tragic dating history.” 

“I don’t know, seems filled with accomplishment to me. Two best friends and one frightened idiot isn’t that bad, and it's not your fault that someone chose to disrespect you. The responsibility is on him, not you. That's not even mentioning how sometimes relationships just work better platonically, I’ve seen it repeatedly with my brothers, even myself although smaller.” Damian smiled reassuringly. “You are filled with so much joy Marinette. Don’t let one bad experience stop you from being who you are.” He continued before being tackled to the blanket with a hug. Like before the hug was stronger than Damian would have expected from such a small girl, but it was filled with warmth and emotion that he attempted to return in kind.

“Thank you Dami.” She whispered. The two sat quietly in the garden, calmly sitting among the flowers. When Marinette suddenly wiggled out of his arms to get at her purse Damian jolted before watching in amusement as she mindlessly retrieved her sketchbook and pencil case from the bag. He observed as she sketched out a brilliant paired design for couples outfits that seemed elegant yet understated. The outfits could be used as business wear or as semi formal attire and they gave the impression of sophisticated teamwork. As the forms for the models came together he recognized bits of some of his family members in the designs. With awe he realized that the outfits were more for a sibling duo than a romantic couple. Damian could imagine Drake and Brown in the outfits, though he also felt that the woman’s outfit complimented Cass quite well. 

When Marinette finally looked up from the drawing the completed designs were lovely. Two semi formal suits for a man and a woman. Designed in a dark gray with hints of reds, yellows, blues and oranges pulling in bits of color through the outfit. It looked as if the pair could be standing in flames together or appart, but there was no doubt that they were meant to match. 

“Those are astonishing Marinette.” Damian murmured into her ear from where she had been using his shoulder as a backrest. He could feel the shiver through her body at his words and held back a smirk.

“You got me thinking about platonic partnerships, and their importance in our lives despite their complications. I noticed the amount of love that exists in your family behind the public masks and complex history.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “It was very inspiring.”

Damian laughed inside at Marinette's unknowing words even as she pulled away the shields around his family. “You aren’t wrong Angel, though most people don’t care to look that closely at a bunch of spoiled rich kids.”

Marinette pressed back further into him as she flipped to a new page. “Those people are wrong, your family is amazing. All of you are so different yet you fit yourselves together into a family and you support each other. I’m not saying it's perfect, but it's certainly special.” 

Damian breathed in as he absorbed her words. It was strange to think about from a viewpoint such as Marinettes, someone who from self admission saw the beauty in everything. But he could see what she meant. For all their chaos and hardships the Wayne family, and by extension the Batfamily, was one of the strongest units in Gotham. “Thank you Angel.” He whispered into her hair.

Marinette finished her second sketch rather quickly. It was some of the flowers in the garden drawn in different styles and at different angles. There was a note at the top of the page that simply said ‘ _ for Embroidery _ ’ in french. As soon as she set aside the book and leaned back into Damian he could feel her breathing settle. It was an odd thing for him that someone could be comfortable enough to fall asleep on him. Damian froze for several minutes in shock as Marinette drifted off. He let her sleep for quite a while before gently waking her up.

“Angel, we need to head back to the manor. You have to wake up,  _ Habibti. _ ” He murmured while gently shaking her arm. Despite his soft tone the girl went from fast asleep to alert in a jerk. 

“ _ Hum, Where am I? Bad Kitty, I wanna sleep. _ ” Marinette murmured just before she sat up in full wakefulness. 

Damian laughed a little as he drifted his hand down her shoulder. “ _ We are still in the garden Angel, and there are no cats around unfortunately. _ ” He replied in french.

She turned around smoothly until Damian could see her rapidly clearing eyes. “Sorry Damian, I didn’t mean to drift off.” Marinette began in english.

“It was no problem  _ Habibti _ . I’m sure you needed the rest, and we can have more dates if you would like. Today was quite eventful already.” Damian ventured with a soft smile. After all despite the interruption from the Sirens it had been quite a lovely date, and Damian was looking forward to being able to take his Angel out on more. The lovely Parisian deserved to be properly wooed.

Marinette smiled coyly. “I suppose another date wouldn’t be terrible.” She teased as she stood up and stretched. Damian found himself a little distracted by the display of muscles that responded to the straining movement.

He jerked himself back to attention with a flush. Clambering up from the ground in a motion not befitting of the training he had received. Though his training hadn’t involved a pretty girl resting against him for just under a half hour, he thought as he too stretched his stiff muscles. “Well then, I look forward to proving how much of a gentleman I can be, and how deserving you are of being wooed Marinette.” He said in an attempt to recover his ingrained grace.

The responding laugh from Marinette was music to his ears as he turned off the speaker. Happily the two cleaned up their picnic and folded up the blanket.

_ ******POV shift ****** _

Marinette's eyes tracked Damians facial expressions as the two of them cleaned up their picnic. The walk back to the car was quiet but not tense. She reflected on the reaction Damian had to her confession, not pity but instead anger and understanding. It was refreshing to be able to tell someone who hadn't been there to watch her absolute ignorance. 

Damian handed her into the car carefully after opening the door for her. He was truly living up to his promise of treating her with the care of a true gentleman. It wasn’t until the car was pulling through the gates that the relaxed mood shifted. 

Marinette could practically feel when Damian tensed up. “Oh no. Why now?” The boy groaned.

Marinette shifted her gaze to him in concern. “Dami?” She questioned before the car came to an abrupt halt in the driveway. 

“Sorry Angel, it appears we have another unwelcome interruption to our date.” He responded gesturing further up the driveway before muttering about invasive idiots under his breath.

She couldn’t help but giggle at Damian's resigned reaction, settling down now that she knew there wasn’t any danger. Meeting the Sirens, though they were rather nice, was a wakeup call to the true possibility of danger in Gotham. Though for her it still felt like a weight was off her chest at being able to freely express her emotions.

Marinette let her gaze shift up the driveway to see a teen around their age standing in the center waving wildly. He was wearing a hat but as Damian started to drive the car closer Marinette could see his hair was dark. His jeans were ripped in multiple places and his high top converse were left untied. The red hoodie he wore appeared to be zipped over a white T-shirt that had most likely seen better days based on the ragged hem peeking out under the hoodie. Even more surprising was the bright smile that the boy maintained as the car approached.

When Damian slid the car into a sideways stop Marinette let out a squeal in surprise and excitement. “Damian!” She laughed. 

The mentioned boy smirked. “Don’t worry Angel, I won’t hit the buffoon.” He soothed before muttering under his breath. “Not like it would do much if I did.” Damian shut the car off before climbing out, ignoring the boy, who Marinette assumed to be his friend, and walking around to help Marinette out of the vehicle.

Once Damian had finished assisting her Marinette decided to take mercy on the boy who was bouncing excitedly on his feet. Though the patience seemed uncharacteristic Marinette assumed that the boy was simply being polite. “Damian, aren’t you going to introduce us.” She smirked.

Damian simply sighed. “ _ Habibti  _ the bouncing buffoon in front of you is none other than Jonathan Kent. His parents are associated with my father.” Pinching his nose Damian turned away to look at the other boy. “Kent, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She is here with her parents for the Stone Wedding.”

Permission tacitly given the newly named boy approached. “Hi, you can call me Jon. Dami only breaks out the last name when he’s in a mood.” He introduces cheerfully. Taking her hand for a handshake he leans down to mock whisper in her ear. “Was he smiling just now? You have got to teach me that trick.” Marinette finds herself giggling as Damian tugs her back from Jon’s loose grip to stand at his side.

“Marinette.” She replies while digging her elbow slightly into Damians side. “And sorry but the trick is all me I’m afraid. Though I’ve heard good things about you from Damian so I’m sure you have your own skills.” 

Jon turns to Damian in excitement before cheerfully asking. “So were you guys on a date?”

Marinette smiles mysteriously at Jon but gives a slight nod of her head when Damian looks at her in question. It is his friend, she will let him decide how to handle the question.

“Yes, we were.” Damian answers confidently, though Marinette can see the happy awe layered behind his hard green stare.

Jon looks practically gleeful. “This is truly amazing, and I’m really sorry for crashing your guys date.”

“Tch. Your timing is as inconveniently on point as always.” Damian waved off dismissively. “Though your consideration is appreciated you were not the first interruption.” He expanded and Marinette giggled at the understatement. 

Marinette examined Jon. The boy had such a bright personality, and she could see his honest joy over the news that the two had been on a date. Obviously Damian and Jon were close friends based on their interactions, even if neither of them would verbalize it. Marinette found herself mentally comparing their dynamic to herself and Adrien, it was certainly a bond that couldn't be simply labeled ‘best friends’. 

“How late are you planning on staying Jon?” Damian asked briskly, but not without affection.

“Well I made my own way here and my parents aren’t coming until tomorrow to interview the Stone’s for their article. I guess I was hoping to stay at the manor tonight.” The boy replied sheepishly, he made big puppy eyes at Damian that could have rivaled Adrien or Marinettes own version. Damian just scowled. “Please Dami, we haven’t hung out in forever.”

“We saw each other last week.” Damian deadpanned.

Marinette couldn't help giggling at the exchange.

“That was different and you know it.” Jon whined. “Plus I want to get to know your girlfriend. Please, best friend requirements demand it.”

Damian just sighed in resignation as Marinette's giggles grew in intensity. Neither of them contradicted Jon’s label of their relationship, but Marinette attempted to push that to the back of her mind for the moment. 

She turned to Damian, getting his attention with a light tug on his arm. “To be fair my friends have already begun their assessment of you, and they’ll be here in a few days to continue it in person.” She smiled softly at him. “I don’t mind getting to know the people who are important to you Damian.” The underlying meaning was there, I want to know you, I want to know your life and friends.

The soft, small smile that continued into his eyes let Marinette know that Damian could hear her unspoken words. With a crisp nod he replied, “Very well  _ Habibti _ , if you do not find it intrusive I suppose the heathen can stay.” 

Marinette grinned at the lack of bite in his words, and the loud whoop that the aforementioned ‘heathen’ let out at the announcement. She leaned over to Damian’s ear. “ _ You might act tough but you can’t fool me Dami. Inside you're a big gooey marshmallow. _ ” She teased in a whisper.

Jon looked slightly confused by the brief reddening of Damians cheeks so hopefully the boy either hadn't heard, or was unable to translate her rapid french. Though obviously the boy grasped at least a part of the interaction because he still seemed overjoyed by their interactions. Marinette could only hope that her own overprotective friends would react as well to their budding relationship. Her teammates could be quite vicious when it came to protecting their leader. 

“ _ Careful what you ask for Angel, payback is one of my specialties. Teasing can go both ways _ .” Damian said in Cantonese to the now obvious confusion of Jon. 

Marinette replied in kind with a bright grin on her face. “ _ Ah but isn’t that how one dances? With a capable partner? _ ” She smirked with her challenge.

Damian’s green eyes brightened. “ _ So it is my beautiful Angel, and what a vibrant partner you are. _ ” 

Marinette’s breath quickened a little at the rush of adrenaline. Banter was something she enjoyed, and though her friends were capable Damian was a master. Having someone to match wits with was a novel opportunity that certainly intrigued her, until their little battle was interrupted.

“As interesting as it is to listen to you both chatter in a language I don’t understand, I feel like this is drifting into some unusual flirting of an overly personal nature.” Jon interrupted loudly. “And for the record I have a minor understanding of French and I hope that you actually called Damian a marshmallow because otherwise I have failed at life.” 

Damian groaned as the interruption drew him from their heated banter as well. “You are despicable Kent. Why do you only remember the utterly useless vocabulary words? The translation for marshmallow is  _ guimauve _ , which isn’t even a cognate and you couldn't remember that moon was  _ lune _ for our last quiz.” 

Marinette let out peals of laughter like she hadn’t in a long time, Hawkmoth really put a damper on her optimism. She was reminded of the time she told Adrien off in Cantonese only for him to reply dumbly that he thought she didn’t know Chinese. Of course That had led to another rant, which Chloe filmed, about how Mandarin and Cantonese were different and she most certainly hadn’t known Mandarin at the time.

For the part of the boys Damian seemed distracted by her reaction while Jon seemed proud. Once her laughter calmed down Damian decided to escort them into the manor with reassurances that the car would be taken care of. Having witnessed the utter magic of Alfreds management of the house, Marinette had no doubt to the statement's validity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: And another chapter is successfully finished. Big thanks to ‘elfkeys’ for helping me edit some things, A true IRL MVP. Hope you guys like this chapter. We finally get Jon in this fic and I’m excited to see how he completely disrupts the temporary equilibrium of our story.


	14. Queen of the Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So we met Jon last chapter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm falling a little behind in the drawings that I have planned/want to do eventually. I recently got a drawing book from a friend that I've been using to improve my technique and what not. Hopefully once I get back to drawing my own fanart I will catch up and most likely post those to my newly created tumblr with a note of what chapter they belong in. Figured you guys would rather have the chapters than wait for me to get my drawing up to snuff. For now the descriptions should let you imagine the outfits decently enough for the story.  
> PS. This chapter was so much fun to write and I hope you have fun reading it.

Dinner that night was a loud event. It seemed that every one of Damians brothers wanted to know the details of their date. Marinette let herself be amused by the way their frustration grew in favor of chatting with Jon about his interests. She held onto Damians hand under the table as the two ate with their unoccupied hands. She was looking forward to her friend's arrival the next evening, the chaos was making her miss them.

While Damian glared at his family to dissuade interruptions or interrogations Marinette talked to Jon about video games and anime that he was interested in. Of course she confessed that most of her anime knowledge had been forced upon her by her best friend, and how Adrien took it as a challenge to find one she was more than mildly interested in. Jon seemed to approve of her interest in shows like Log Horizon and Fairy Tail. Marinette pointed out that one of the things that drew her to those was the art style and character designs, though Shiro’s tactics were certainly a benefit in Log Horizon. The other show was certainly better at maintaining a larger cast of characters for longer periods of time, plus it was a long time favorite of Adrien and Chloe.

When Jon mentioned having difficulty with getting past a basic level of French Marinette offered up some video games and shows that she thought might help increase his interest and desire to learn. She mentioned UMS-3 and offered to play online with him if he decided to get it. The conversation was enjoyable and Marinette appreciated how Damian’s hold on her hand grounded her as he soothed his thumb across the back whenever her pulse increased. It had done wonders for her overall anxiety level as she was calm enough to realize that Jon wasn’t pretending to be interested in the conversation.

Jon was fun to chat with and Marinette learned a lot about his taste in anime and even music. She made a note that many of the shows he mentioned were ones that Adrien had brought up before. She might not like all the shows her best friend watched but he certainly talked about them enough for her to make note of their names.

After the meal Damian excused himself to his own art room, citing the desire to capture his memories of the day in his own way. Marinette was sure she was a bright red mess after he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and disappeared into the manor. She allowed herself several moments lost in the emotions before shaking herself out of her daze.

She was met by Jason smirking in amusement and Jon smiling in a way that brightened the entire room. Thankfully her parents had already left the room, but Jagged and Penny both gave her thumbs up before exiting. Marinette groaned and covered her face with her hands.

Jason laughed. “Doing okay over there Pixie Pop?” The wry amusement in his tone held an undertone of concern. Marinette felt warmth at knowing that the question wasn’t simply rhetorical. 

Marinette coughed out a laugh herself. “Yeah, I only have myself to blame.” She smirked, already throwing ideas around in her head for how to respond to Damians teasing. The challenge itself wouldn't be fun if he wasn’t playing as well.

Jon let out a noise of realization. “So that's what you guys were talking about outside.” He said when she turned to him. “You challenged him.” Jon started laughing hysterically.

Marinette smiled wryly. “I might have.”

Jason chuckled. “Sure you can handle that Pixie Pop? I don’t think the Demon Spawn is going to go easy on you.” 

She raised her eyebrows at the older man. “I would hope not.” Marinette stated with an air of offense. “It would defeat the purpose if he did. Half the fun of a battle of wits is the challenge.” 

“I still say it's a weird form of flirting.” Jon commented.

Marinette smirked. “You wouldn’t be wrong.” Certainly her friends had been confused more than once by her personal method of flirting. But then again Adrien flirted primarily through puns so he at least had no room to talk.

With a laugh Jason’s grin widened slightly. “Okay then, guess you’ve got that handled then Pixie Pop. Hey mini Kent, wanna head to the gym for a workout? You are welcome to come watch if you want Marinette.” 

Marinette smiled. “Thank you, I think I will. Just let me grab some embroidery so I can work on the suits while I watch.” 

With a nod Jason led the group towards Marinette's room to grab what she needed before promising to meet back here once they changed so she wouldn’t get lost on the way to the gym. Marinette was quick to change herself while they were gone. Her outfit skirted the edge of casual or athletic wear. Her black sports bra topped by a scarlet and light pink tie dye tank top with moisture wicking panels in red was paired with three quarter length black leggings with red mesh and red and pink stitching. She made sure to put on comfortable black tennis shoes with red and pink mismatched laces and finished her look by putting her hair up into a messy bun. After all if she was going to a gym she might as well get a workout in after she finished her embroidery. 

In the hall her appearance was met with a low whistle from Jason and a gobsmacked expression on Jon. “You look like you walked out of an athletic magazine Pixie Pop.” Jason commented.

Marinette smiled a little evilly. “I’m best friends with a professional model, the daughter of the Style Queen and I myself am a professional designer Jason. Of course I dress the part, if I went with Chloe to the gym in anything less she would pitch a fit.” She commented as she waved two fingers to signify two of her closest friends.

“You're a designer?” Jon asked.

“Yes.” Marinette said turning to face the boy who was now wearing a pair of blue basketball shorts and a white athletic top. “I guess Damian and I forgot to include that in the introductions. The bridal outfits for Jagged and Penny’s wedding are done by me.”

“Not to mention she's making suits for Replacement, Demon Spawn and myself before the wedding.” Jason interrupted.

Marinette held up the bundle of fabric she was carrying that wouldn't fit in her purse with the other supplies. “This is Tim’s, I’m almost done with it so I want to finish up the final details before I move on to the other two. Speaking of which, Jason I’ll probably need you for another fitting tomorrow at some point.” As she spoke Jason moved their group through the manor with ease. 

When they arrived at the gym Marinette was mildly surprised. It resembled more of a cross between a gymnastics studio and a dojo like what the Tursurgi’s had in their home. It was larger than the Tursurgi dojo and had mirrors on some of the walls with ballet bars. One corner held a punching bag and there was a small wall section with practice weapons for various styles of fighting. The floor was a soft mat and there was extra cushioning around the gymnastics equipment. She could tell the room had been designed to give a little of everything and she wasn’t surprised by the gym equipment against one wall. The layout made use of every foot of space while still leaving a good chunk of the floor open, presumably for sparing or dance.

Marinette moved to a cushioned bench facing the sparing mat while Jason and Jon got themselves warmed up. She let her hands move through the predetermined designs on the fabric. It was soothing to hand stitch these little touches for someone and know that they would appreciate them. For Tim she put her MDC signature under the fold of the jacket collar and on the waistband where a belt would cover it. She also included a little bit of luck into the hidden signatures so that Tim would be less likely to spill on the outfit, nothing too big but still helpful. Then she finished the rest of the custom embroidery for the jackets and held the finished pieces out with pride.

While she had been letting her fingers take care of the detailing and filling in the patterns Marinette's eyes drifted to watch the boys spar. Apparently Jason was teaching Jon a few ways to escape holds and get away from an attacker quickly with the least amount of effort. Marinette recognized some of the maneuvers from a class she had taken with Chloe and Kagami that specializes in female defense. The boys then moved to more even sparing, still Jason was giving pointers as they went and Marinette could tell that they were resulting in minor improvements in Jons form. Unusually enough Marinette could tell that both boys were pulling their punches quite a bit, while this made sense for Jason’s size it was a little unusual to see Jon holding back just as much if not more. As Marinette finished off her stitching she dismissed it as the boys focusing on technique rather than strength. 

As soon as she had her project folded up sitting on the bench Marinette stood up and stretched out. She moved through several basic stretches before eyeing the balance beam with excitement. With a quick glance at the still sparing boys Marinette moved to the beam, a little gymnastics practice wouldn't be a bad idea. She took her shoes and socks off before leaving them at the end of the beam, and she made sure her top wouldn’t move around. Starting slowly Marinette made sure she was balanced and had the feel for the length and width of the beam. Once she was sure that she had a good handle on the dimensions she went through some simple gymnastics maneuvers. Marinette ran through a walking handstand and several walkovers before feeling eyes on her. With a hidden smirk Marinette transitioned smoothly into a flip and landed solidly on the beam. After several more flips and cartwheels Marinette made a clean dismount from the beam. 

A sudden applause caused her to jerk her head towards the mat. Jason was clapping as they both watched her. Marinette was breathing heavily as she moved a piece of hair out of her face. 

“Wouldn't have guessed you could do that Pixie Pop.” Jason commented gleefully.

Marinette huffed. “With the akuma attacks in Paris some friends and I have taken to doing quite a few different sports and self defense classes. It doesn't just help when we get caught in an attack but it is also a good emotional outlet.”

Jason whistled low as he nodded in understanding. Jon looked confused but Marinette took that as him not knowing about the Paris situation. Jason refocused on her. “What else can you do?” He asked bluntly. 

With a smile Marinette moved over to the set of uneven bars. She easily went through a small routine that she and Chloe had practiced to do in sync several months ago. After the last turn she flew through the air to land on the mat.

This time both boys were clapping as she walked back towards them. Marinette accepted the offered bottle of water from Jon and guzzled it down quickly.

“I also know a little fencing from Kagami and Adrien, and Kagami has gotten me to practice a little with some other practice weapons they have. Me and the girls took a class some months back for assault defense and escape, and Chloe and I do gymnastics together. Most of my other experience is some self defense classes here and there, Luka and Adrien have gone to some with us too.” Marinette said as she finished off the first half of her water. “Three of my friends are some of the richest kids in Paris and Luka and I don't plan on staying unknown forever. Eventually I’ll take my brand public, and Luka is lined up to tour with Jagged as soon as he’s done with his education.” As long as we have the butterfly back by then, Marinette added in her head. Luka was in college now but in a few years he wouldn't have that excuse to put off his career anymore, not that he wouldn’t go to school but being limited to Paris had been a bit of a letdown.

“That's pretty impressive Marinette. It’s admirable what you and your friends have done to take back control of your situation.” Jason’s voice for once was completely serious. 

Jon was still standing off to the side in abject confusion. 

Marinette decided to take pity on the confused boy. “Paris has been emotionally under siege for about 4 years by a villain named Hawkmoth. He can take advantage of anyone's negative emotions to possess them and give them powers to attack Paris. We have a team of heroes though and the damage is never permanent since Ladybug heals everything after curing the person who was possessed.”

Jon still seemed to be out of it so Marinette turned back to Jason. “Can we spar? Please?” She begged using her most potent puppy eyes. And just like her when she babysat Manon Jason caved within moments and led her towards the mat. 

Marinette squared off with the larger man from the opposite end of the mat. She let her eyes drift over him looking for anything she could use. Marinette couldn’t even tell that Jason was going to be moving before he was across the mat with an arm around her in a bear hug. Using one of the maneuvers she learned in self defense she stepped on his instep and stuck her arm out to push him away before twisting out of his grip. Even with her bare foot Marinette knew that her heel stomp wasn't light, Adrien had witnessed that many times when he upset her on movie night. Marinette was protective of her popcorn. 

Now that she was aware that Jason was faster than his size led her to believe Marinette moved her weight onto her toes. Next time he came at her She grabbed his arm and used the leverage to swing herself between his legs. The move was intended to make him fall over but Jason recovered quickly. However, when he turned to face her she was already charging at him, at the last moment Marinette went to vault herself over his shoulders. The maneuver was half successful as Jason grabbed both wrists and held them to their points on his shoulders bringing both of them to the mat hard before releasing her. 

Marinette was now breathing hard as she tried to regain the breath that the fall had knocked out of her. With very little grace she scrambled up into a standing position just before Jason came at her again with a series of punches and kicks. Used to dodging during fights Marinette was able to avoid the first few strikes before a side kick knocked her off balance. Marinette attempted to recover and throw a punch at Jason's unguarded side but her arm was caught and she was spun into a strong hold. This hold was not one of the ones she knew how to get out of and after struggling for a moment Marinette went limp. Moments after she let her entire body relax she felt Jason loosen his grip in response.

“Are you …” Jason had begun only to be interrupted before finishing his sentence.

Marinette moved herself down and out of Jason’s slackened grip only to spin around and deliver a jab to the larger man’s solar plexus. The strike caused him to double over out of breath and Marinette used his position to climb on his shoulders and deliver a hit between the shoulder blades to knock him to the ground. As soon as they hit the mat Marinette quickly took off her shirt leaving her in only her sports bra. Using the shirt Marinette restrained both of Jason's arms and legs before he was able to catch his breath.

The room was quiet for several minutes except the sound of breathing. Jason had momentarily tried to struggle out to the improvised restraint, but he either didn’t want to rip her shirt, which was appreciated, or he found the material stronger than he anticipated, also possible.

“I can’t believe that just happened.” Jon got out, finally breaking the silence.

Jason coughed out a breathless laugh. “You can't believe it? I’m the one on the floor tied up. What am I tied up with by the way.” Face down on the mat Jason had to turn his head to speak, but he couldn't turn far enough to actually see what she had done.

Jon seemed to choke on a laugh.

“My shirt.” Marinette announced cheerfully. 

Jason seemed shocked. “Pixie please tell me you aren’t shirtless in front of the innocent mini boy scout.”

Marinette laughed. “Nope, I have a sports bra on. Get your mind out of the gutter, it covers more than some swimsuits.”

“And what led you to use your garment as a restraint?” Jason drawled as Marinette worked to untangle her shirt. 

“Obviously I wouldn’t be strong enough to hold you down on my own, I’m like half your size.” Marinette scoffed as she shook out the now freed tank top. “So I made you into a turtle.” 

Jon now started laughing. “More like hogtied.”

Marinette shook her head. “When turtles get stuck on their backs they have a hard time flipping over, that's what I used for inspiration.” 

“Very inspired.” Jon complimented with giggles.

“Shut it mini scout.” Jason growled without heat. 

Marinette stuck her arm out to help Jason off the floor. “In Paris you have to use anything and everything to your advantage. Everything might go back to normal but all of the memories remain, and it's better to avoid that when you can.”

Both boys remained silent at that.

****POV Shift****

Jon was in shock. He just watched a tiny civilian take down the Red Hood. With her Shirt. Jason was one of the most adaptable vigilantes in their social group, he was tough and fast and not afraid of getting his hands dirty. Jon knew that he most likely hadn’t used his full strength against Marinette, but even so it was unlikely that anyone beat Jason in a fight that wasn't one of the other bats. 

It was also a shock to learn that there was a villain in Paris and an entire team of Heroes that were previously unknown to the Justice League. Jon would ask one of the Waynes about that later but for now at least it explained why Marinette had so many old injuries when he X-rayed her, on accident, earlier. 

Jon tried to contribute to the conversation as Marinette put her shirt back on before gathering her things and retiring for the night. She seemed to take the entire situation in stride, like she wasn’t at all surprised that she had taken down a man twice her size. Granted she didn’t know that Jason had training that greatly surpassed anything a civilian would encounter.

As soon as Jon couldn't hear Marinette anymore he turned to Jason in shock. “What was that?” He asked.

Jason just shook his head slightly. “Unusual, but considering what she’s told Damian about Paris and what we’ve researched it's not completely unfounded.” 

“But she just took you down.” Jon exclaimed.

“Yeah, but there were several times she left openings that I could have used if I wasn’t trying to avoid lasting damage. The only time she really got me with something was with the shirt. Plus I didn't think she would deliver that hard a hit to my gut. For a small girl she packs quite the punch, and I think she was at least partially pulling that punch.” Jason wiped his face off with a towel. “Honestly she surprised me with that fake out there at the end. I really thought she gave up.”

“Isn’t this at all concerning to you?” Jon asked, panicked.

“Kid take a breath.” Jason stated. “Yes I am concerned, but not about Marinette being a threat. The girl is clean, Bruce and Tim both checked the whole family before they even arrived. Marinette is a good kid who’s had the misfortune of living in a city with a supervillain. There is no need to get up in her case for taking precautions. You heard her, she’s got quite the resume in combat sports for a civilian.” Jason threw the towel in Jon's face. “Until she gives us a reason not to, we are going to treat her with respect. We will not ruin this for Damian, got me.”

Jon nodded guiltily.

Jason sighed. “It's good to be cautious SB but sometimes you gotta take a risk and trust your gut, and people.”

“That's rich coming from you Master Jason.” Came the familiar posh British voice from the doorway.

Jon jumped, having not heard the old butler approach. Seriously Alfred Pennyworth was a specialty all his own.

“Hilarious Alfred.” Jason deadpanned. “Level with me though, what's your opinion?”

Alfred raised one eyebrow in an arch. “I think Miss Marinette made you into a very good turtle Master Jason.” 

Jon snickered, drawing Alfred’s attention.

“As for Mister Jonathan’s concerns.” He began. “I find time and patience can be a quite refreshing approach.” Alfred began picking up the various towels around the room. “Miss Marinette is a kind and creative soul, and a fantastic addition to Master Damian’s life I might add.” And with that the old butler left the room as quietly as he had come in, now with an arm full of towels.

Jason scoffed after a few moments. “I ain’t a damn turtle. She didn't even pin me on my back. I was on my front.” 

Jon looked at him. “But you couldn't flip over.” He commented. 

“Shut up or I’ll tell Damian who used his spare cape as a tissue last month.” Jason threatened.

“How do you even know about that?” Jon shouted in shock and embarrassment.

“I have my ways mini Supe.” Jason mocked.

Jon pouted. “It’s not my fault you guys don't have any kleenex boxes in that drafty cave.” He muttered.

Jason laughed. “Of all the human traits to have, dust allergies is a pretty amusing development.” 

“Yeah well the meds don't work either so could you have someone order some tissue boxes next time you get supplies.” Jon asked quietly.

“Sure kid. Also good job today on drills, you’ve gotten better since last time.” Jason complimented.

Jon beamed. “Conners been helping me out when he visits.” 

Jason nodded and slung an arm around Jon as they left the gym and turned off the lights. All in all Jon thought it had been a good evening. And he’s pretty sure Alfred got video of that awesome takedown, so that was a plus.

_(Here is my sketch for this chapter.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So that was a fun chapter. Don’t hate on Jon please he’s just a little in shock from someone beating Jason. I imagine he sees the older bats as somewhat unbeatable plus he didn’t really have time to process what Marinette told them about Paris and that she had some training. Also Jason was Definitely holding back somewhat because otherwise he could have seriously hurt Marinette and he knew that. If he was going all out Marinette probably couldn’t beat him, at least not without being transformed.  
> Also Damian wasn’t actually spending his entire evening painting, even if he totally would, he was on patrol. Sorry if that disappoints anyone but I thought that was a good excuse for Damian to use on Marinette so he could take his turn on patrol. He’s totally going to paint at some point in his free time though.  
> An additional also, for anyone who noticed at the beginning of the chapter. Marinette and Damian are holding hands under the table. This is because I totally would believe that both or at least Damian are ambidextrous to some extent. Damian probably by force and Marinette from necessity for fighting and sewing. So yeah neither of them is hindered by the action of having one hand occupied. You could also consider that one of them has simply crossed their nondominant hand over to the other, but I think the ambidextrous theory fits better for both of them.


	15. Woops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will the rest of the batboys react to Marinette's newly discovered skills? Laughing at Jason, check. Abstract amounts of shock, Check. Eventual adoption, inevitable. Damian’s reaction, currently unknown.

With an uneventful patrol the night before Damian had been able to get quite a good night's rest and was content to walk down to the kitchen when he woke up. He found a laughing Drake and Grayson occupying the room with an irritated Todd angrily drinking coffee. Drake and Grayson were sitting in front of Drake's laptop and Grayson was quick to wave Damian over. 

“Damian you have to see this. Your girlfriend took Jason down in a spar last night.” He said excitedly. 

Damian looked at Jason in shock. Surely Todd knew better than to spar with an untrained civilian, let alone beaten. 

Todd glared back at him. “Just watch the video Demon Spawn. I ain’t dumb, I was holding back. No way was I gonna hurt her in a friendly spar. She still took me down though.”

With a nod Damian took Richards' seat in front of the computer and watched as Drake moved the footage back quite a ways.

“This is where she finished doing her sewing.” Drake started before pressing play.

From the view of the security camera Damian watched as his Angel flawlessly performed flips and twists on the balance beam. When she moved to the uneven bars his breath caught. This one was obviously a practiced routine unlike her performance on the beam. Marinette flew between the bars with ease, it was beautiful. He watched her tell Todd and Jon about where she learned her skills and grimaced when he realized he hadn't warned Jon about the situation in Paris. Hopefully Damian got the chance to talk to him before they had an upset Superman taking an unplanned flight across the Atlantic. 

When Marinette and Todd moved to the mat Damian held his breath. But even through his frozen emotions Damian’s training allowed him to analyze the fight with little effort. Damian could tell that Todd was certainly holding back, and avoiding attacks that would put Marinette in danger of sustaining damage. But Damian could also tell that Marinette was also choosing her attacks strategically, most likely for similar reasons. She was flexible and used Jason’s own movements against him. When Jason got Marinette into a hold Damian knew from experience it was hard to get out of Damian was confused. Until he saw the way Marinette went slack and waited for Todd to loosen his grip. Damian paused the video.

“She tricked you.” He stated to his older brother.

“I know.” Todd whined.

“You should know better by now. Women aren’t to be underestimated.” Damian deadpanned teasingly.

“I know.” Jason repeated.

“Next time wait for your opponent to verbally yield.” Damian finished before continuing the video.

Watching Marinette take Jason down so efficiently despite the large size difference was awe inspiring. Though Damian couldn’t help but blush when she yanked her shirt over her head to use as a restraint. If the reaction was from the exposed skin or watching the girl he liked display such cleverness in a fight he wasn’t sure. Either way Damian was certainly enamored watching his Angel put Jason into the floor. 

“You warm over there little D?” Richard teased.

“Tch.” Damian scoffed.

“No shame in love little bro.” Richard continued. “It's a natural..”

“Continue that sentence Richard and I will dismember you.” Damian commanded.

Drake started laughing. “Gotta say it's a little comforting to see you react like a normal teenager to a girl.” He announced.

Damian coughed a little as he willed his blush to go away. Unfortunately at that moment Marinette walked into the kitchen. Thankfully true to form the girl was only half awake as she wrapped Damian in a sleepy hug and rested her head against his back. 

Drake closed the laptop and moved to get the small girl a cup of coffee. As the co-CEO prepared the drink Damian maneuvered the sleepy girl into the newly vacated seat. 

Marinette shuffled into Damians shoulder as he moved her into the seat. Richard was cooing at them from the other side of the kitchen and taking pictures with his phone. Damian couldn’t find it in him to care enough to stop him. It is interesting to see Marinette like this, soft and trusting, when just moments ago he saw proof of Marinette's capabilities. Jason might have been holding back and underestimating the smaller girl, but taking down the Red Hood was still no small feat. 

When Drake sets down the steaming cup of coffee Marinette lets out a happy noise and immediately picks it up. Fearing her disregard for the temperature Damian gently rubs her shoulder.

“You should blow on it first,  _ Habibti _ , it's hot.” He murmurs in her ear, though not quietly enough if Todd's cut of noise of surprise is anything to go by. Damian glares at his older brother, daring him to say anything.

Todd raises both hands in surrender before pointing back to Marinette. Apparently the girl had decided that waiting was for the weak and was delicately drinking the scalding liquid with little concern. 

Damian sighs and moves to drink his own coffee, though he leaves his arm wrapped around her shoulder. 

Marinette leans into him heavily as she drinks her coffee and picks at the fruit bowl that Richard had set in front of her. She mumbles every now and then, her words becoming more cohesive as she finishes her beverage. By the end of her first cup she is much more awake, and even makes sure to thank Drake for making her first cup.

When Drake offers to refill it Marinette attempts to shyly decline.

“You really don’t have to, Tim. I feel so spoiled the way you guys treat me. You already got me one cup of coffee and Dick got me food.” Marinette sputters out.

Damian exchanges a look with his brothers. Richard is the one who gives him a look that spurs him to speak. “Angel.” He begins softly. “You don’t have to feel bad that we do things for you. For starters we’ve all had times where we despise mornings, some of us more than others.” He jokes, earning a little smile from her before continuing. “And we like doing things for you, spoiling you.  _ Habibti _ you deserve to be pampered, and I for one love to treat you like royalty.” 

Marinette was now blushing lightly and Damian couldn't resist making one more comment into her ear. “ _ I may be the Ice Prince of Gotham, but you are my Princess. _ ” He says in Cantonese, nose pressed against her hair. He can smell the floral shampoo in her hair and finds it better than any obnoxious perfume he’s been around. 

Marinette's reaction, however, is to burst into giggles much to Damians dismay. When she catches a glimpse of his face her laughter intensifies before she calms herself down. “I’m sorry Dami, I know you were trying to be romantic, it's just.” She starts giggling again. Damian waits. “Sorry, long story short Princess is kinda a nickname some of my friends tease me with in Paris.” 

Relieved Damian smiles, at least it wasn’t something he said wrong. “Do share Angel.” He prompts.

“Well it started when I had to help Chat Noir distract an akuma. One of my classmates at the time had a crush on me so I was tasked with distracting him so he wouldn’t go after Chloe since she’s the one who made him mad. Chat Noir though he was being funny calling me Purrrincess since the akuma wanted to go on a date.” Marinette grimaced. “Apparently he decided that instead of using my name he would continue to call me Princess when I ended up in the middle of some akuma attacks. Eventually Adrien overheard and decided to pick it up.” She smirked. “I told him if I was a princess then so was he because he needed his own prince charming.”

Tim seemed to be contemplating something. “Is Adrien?” He stopped.

“Not straight.” Marinette finished wryly. “He’s not, but Gabriel doesn’t know and we are trying to keep it on the downlow for now.” 

Damian watched Tim grimace. “Mood. Took a while for Wayne enterprises board to get the stick out of their collective asses on that one.” 

Marinette seemed confused so Damian nudged her. “Drake is dating Jon’s older brother Conner.” He explains.

“Yeah and they can be grossly ooey gooey about it.” A new voice contributes followed by the appearance of Jon in the doorway. “Why are we talking about Tim and my brother?” 

Damian rolls his eyes, apparently Jon hadn’t decided to turn his enhanced hearing on this morning. “Not important.” He states, not wanting to give up information that Marinette hadn’t decided to share.

Marinette looks at Damian gratefully but turns to Jon. “My best friend has a strict home life, he’s bi, and his dad is a jerk.” 

Jon nodded in understanding. “I get that, my parents had a little bit of trouble when we told them but they were super understanding. Conner is bi and I’m gay, honestly mom was more concerned about the grandchildren thing until dad pointed out that adoption is a thing.” Jon gestured widely at the three older Wayne boy’s.

Drake pitched in. “Steph is pretty sure it's a learned behavior.” 

Grayson laughed.

“Naha, you don't get to laugh. You’ve been dating Kori so long at this point Alfred is totally expecting great grand-babies as soon as you pop the question.” Todd said shaking his finger at the eldest in the room.

While his brothers bickered back and forth Marinette leaned up to whisper in his ear. “ _ Sorry my Ice Prince. _ ” She said in Cantonese. “ _ I guess you’ll have to try harder. _ ” smirk pressed against his jaw. 

Damian smirked back at her. “ _ I wouldn’t have it any other way. After all who better for a Prince to worship than a Queen. _ ” He replied satisfied with the bright red flush that spread across her face as she shoved another piece of fruit into her mouth.

Breakfast was finished with not much fanfare and then Marinette was dragging Todd off to get his second fitting done. When they left Damian turned immediately to Jon.

“I apologize for not informing you about the situation in Paris. We only found out a few days ago and have yet to determine a course of action.” Domain paused. “The situation is, volatile. Please tell me you haven't told your father yet.” 

Jon shook his head, cheeks filled with cereal he must have found in the cabinet before swallowing. “Nah, don’t worry. I’ll let the big bat figure out how to tell dad about the situation. I’m more interested in your girlfriend's best friend’s situation. Gotta say it seems kinda sketchy.” 

Damian nodded. “It is, but from what I’ve gathered their group has a fairly good handle on it for now and don’t need our help to keep it under control. Like I’m sure she explained last night they are a capable group, if they ask we can assist but this is their problem and so far they have a solution.”

“Very mature little D.” Richard commented. “Now I gotta head to the station. What are you guys planning on doing today?” 

“I thought Jon and I could give Marinette a mini tour of Gotham when she’s done with her sewing.” Damian stated looking to Jon for confirmation. When his friend nodded he continued. “We will most likely leave after lunch.”

True to his word several hours later Damian was dragging an over caffeinated Marinette through Gotham. Or more accurately Marinette was dragging him along in excitement as Damian attempted to redirect her away from more questionable locations with little to no help from his half Kryptonian best friend. 

Jon simply followed behind the couple closely as they traversed city sidewalks and colorful storefronts, taking pictures for posterity and sending them to the rest of the bats. Damian was also sure that he sent a few to Conner, and himself considering he felt his phone buzz several times in his pocket. 

Damian kept a solid hold on Marinette's hand in his, making sure that he wouldn't lose his Angel in the crowds. It was enjoyable to watch Marinette flit from storefront to storefront occasionally pulling out her sketchbook to jot something down, or taking a picture on her phone for later reference. She pointed out things he never would have noticed or cared about and explained the purpose behind her observations. He found it, he found her, fascinating.

Marinette had dragged them into a small boutique and was rifling through some of the racks of clothes when a familiar voice interrupted their day. 

“Hello again little ones. I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.” 

Marinette's face brightened. “Katrina.” She said joyfully. “I didn’t think we would run into you here either. What are you doing here?” 

Katrina chuckled and replied. “The owner is one of my customers. What are you doing here little one? I see you have a new addition.” The woman's eyes are bright and Damian has to remind himself to be suspicious of their kind appearance.

Marinette turned to see Jon, as if finally remembering he was there in her caffeine and creative bubble. Based on her flush Damian figured he was right on the mark. “Oh yes, this is Jon. He’s a friend of Damian’s.” 

Katrina smiled at the three of them and Damian fought the urge to lash out. The woman hadn’t done anything wrong, there was no reason for his spine to stiffen or for him to growl/hiss/snap at her. Damian still wanted to though.

“Katrina do you have any extra time?” Marinette asked. Obviously his Angel had bonded with the lady during their two visits. Damian honestly was uncertain about her, and unsettled.

“I have a little if you don’t mind walking with me, I have to head back to my shop now that my delivery is over.” The woman replied.

Marinette looked at Damian with puppy eyes, and he caved. Although he was honestly a little curious to see what the two would discuss during their walk. As they exited the boutique Damian watched Marinette fall in step beside Katrina. He gestured to Jon to remain observant and let himself pay attention to their conversation. 

“Interesting that we keep running into each other little one.” The older woman began.

Marinette simply giggled, as if understanding a larger joke. “Of course Miss.” 

“Your group seems a little unbalanced, three doesn’t make the best base.” Katrina says. Marinette seems a little confused, though her body language stays open. Katrina seems to pick up on her confusion. “Marinette you seem to be a well read girl, am I correct?” The seeming innocent inquiry causes Marinette to flush brightly and duck her head. 

“Honestly Miss, only when I am pursuing information for a specific purpose lately. I find myself too busy to read for sheer curiosity and personal enrichment.” Marinette replies cordially.

Katrina makes an understanding if not partially disappointed noise in response.

“My best friend is more of the inclination to pursue less direct pathways of information.” Marinette continues, and her tone makes Damian believe she is referring to Adrien again.

The older woman seems to sigh in relief at this statement. “Very good. Having a studious individual on your side is very important. Some information is best had in advance after all.” 

Even Damian could acknowledge the vague wisdom in Katrina’s words. It reminded him vaguely of some proverbs his mother used to tear apart during their lessons, though far less malicious.

They walked for several more minutes before the woman spoke again. “How much do you know of mythology my dear?” She asked Marinette.

“A little here and there. Some Chinese myths from my mother, Japanese and Persian myths from my friend. Other’s here and there but nothing extravagant.” Marinette replied.

“I find the Chinese mythology to be very enlightening, though greek myths are my favorite these days.” Katrina answered.

Just then there was a sudden loud screech of tires and a large van pulled up to the curb next to them. With a look Damian could see that Jon was just as surprised as he was, meaning that next on the training agenda was the other boys situational awareness. 

Out of the corner of his eye Damian could see Katrina moving to cover Marinette protectively, and Marinette herself was curling up as if bracing for an impact. The van did not go past the sidewalk though and when the side door opened Damian could see the tell tail green uniforms piling out. Three goons with obnoxious black question marks moved rapidly towards them with their eyes fixed on Damian. 

A kidnapping then, Damian thought. At least Nigma was typically just annoying rather than violent. Honestly speaking the man was probably just off his meds and bored. That wouldn't change the fact that right now Damian was a target in the middle of a group that included two civilians and an undercover super. Mind racing Damian triggered one of the hidden beacons in his pocket before pulling his phone out as if to dial the GCPD. 

“We don’t want no trouble little Wayne. Boss just needs you for a little sit down.” One of the Goons drawled. 

“Tch.” Damian scoffed as he mentally constructed his plan.

“Damian!” He heard from off to the side. Marinette was being held back gently by Katrina as she yelled for him. 

Damian mentally thanked the older woman for keeping his Angel out of the fight. “What does the Riddler want with little old me?” He asked in his patented Ice Prince of Gotham tone. With great satisfaction he saw one of the Goons in the back shudder. 

The head Goon spoke again. “Kid we just need to grab you for the Boss okay. Don't make us take your little friends too.” 

Damian let a little bit of fear into his eyes and glanced first to Jon and then back to the obviously enraged Marinette. In an intentional waver he said. “You don’t think the Wayne heir is a little conspicuous as a hostage.” 

The Goon laughed. “Pretty sure that's what the Boss is going for.” He mocked. “Now are you going to come easily or do we have to take the pretty girl for you to cooperate?” he asked as he moved to grab Damians arm and the hand holding the phone. Another Goon moved towards where Marinette was still struggling to be able to run towards him.

Damian cursed mentally that his deflection hadn't worked and made a halfhearted struggle against the man's hold as he yelled at Jon. “Go, get the girls to safety!” ‘Keep Marinette safe.’ he pleads silently hoping that Jon would understand his instructions.

As Damian was tossed ‘gently’ into the back of the van he saw Jon quickly gesturing for Katrina to run as he picked up the positively irate Marinette over his shoulder to run after her. The door closed just as they rounded a corner, Marinette’s furious gaze centered on Damian.

*** POV shift***

Marinette screamed and raged against the hold Jon had her in as they ran away from the absolutely moronic kidnappers. She was pissed off when he finally set her down several blocks away in an ally.

“What on earth?” She screamed. “Why did you leave him? There were only five of them max, and two of them weren't even on the sidewalk.” Marinette yelled at Jon, barely noting that Katrina was standing beside them only partially out of breath. “How is this at all helpful to Damian? We could have all gotten out of there.” 

Marinette's tirade was stopped by Jon’s hand on her mouth. She glared at him. “Damian has several trackers on him. This kind of thing happens sometimes. Riddler isn’t as bad as some of the others and this way Damian can lead the authorities right to him. He can take care of himself okay.” 

Marinette still glared at the boy before shoving his hand away. “I don’t care he shouldn’t have to, especially on his own.” Marinette was freaking out. Damian was kidnapped and she needed to do something.

“I know.” Jon started. “Which is why I’m going to call Bruce and make sure that the trackers Damian has are active. Stay here, Damian wanted me to keep you safe so that's what I’m going to do.”

As Jon moved to one end of the ally Marinette felt a hand on her shoulder. “Sometimes patience is necessary to truly make your way to the solution.” Katrina said as soon as Marinette turned around. “What would have happened if I had let you go? A small Parisian tourist taking down a squad of kidnappers in defense of one of Gotham's most famous individuals.” Her expression is soft and understanding but still firm. “ _ Make a plan, little bug, think with your head and then follow your heart. _ ” She says in Cantonese.

Marinette pauses and takes a deep breath. She can feel Tikki and Kaalki in her purse, hear Jon faintly on the phone at the end of the alley. With each breath she calms the raging storm in her mind until she feels as centered as possible. “ _ I’m going after him. _ ” She tells Katrina, still in Cantonese. “ _ I don’t care if this isn’t Paris I’m not leaving Damian in the hands of kidnappers. _ ”

Katrina simply seems resigned, as if she expected nothing less from a passionate ladybug holder. “ _ Very well, be careful little bug and fly high. _ ” She cautions. “ _ I will distract the little Metropolis sunshine boy. _ ” 

With a nod Marinette moved herself slowly to the other end of the ally. When she reaches the opening she dashes out and across to another ally that she can see has an open fire escape. Climbing to the roof is tedious but Marinette is wary of transforming at street level. Once on the roof she ducks between some laundry hung out to dry and lets Tikki and Kaalki out. 

“Kaalki, I need you to follow Katrina and Jon so I know where to return to.” Marinette says. As soon as the little kwami nods she takes off back to the ally they left, Marinette then turns to Tikki. “I know this is a risk but…”

Tikki only smiles. “It’s the right thing to do Marinette. Don’t worry about it I understand.” 

Marinette transforms and Ladybug sets off through the streets of Gotham for the first time in daylight. She hopes that the icon she seems to be magically following on her yoyo screen is actually Damians tracker but she hasn’t really asked Tikki how the yoyo connects to external technology so her only explanation is magic. When Ladybug arrived at the indicated place she was able to see Damian through the window. He was tied up in a chair with green rope and looked very bored. Ladybug was about to go into the warehouse when she saw something metallic glint across the roof. 

Looking up she could see Red Hood holding a rifle, which is where the reflection came from, and he seemed to be talking to someone. His head tilted every so often but as far as Ladybug could tell he didn’t seem concerned at the moment. Looking around again Ladybug spots a shadow inside the warehouse. Realizing that there was already a team in place to get Damian out she re-evaluates her situation.

After a moment of thought Ladybug whispers “Lucky Charm.” And a spotted tape measure falls into her arms. Well at least now she knew how she could help the Batfamily. After all, her Chaton wasn’t the only one brilliant at distractions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Cliff hanger, dun dun dun. Don't worry it’ll be okay. Also I've started posting my sketches onto tumblr because it is infinitely easier than how I was doing it before. Should have a sketch up for the first date and for queen of the hill sometime soon. My tumblr is FaithWarrior and I've been tagging the drawings with #Gotham(fashion)Disasters. Sorry for the slow update, I decided to do BioDadBruceWayne month for September and have been prepping for that.


	16. Minor Assist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two bats, a bug, a tape measure and one very unhappy bird.

Minorly irritated was quickly becoming an understatement for Damians current mental state. First he was shuffled into an irritatingly cramped van and driven across the city, without even a blindfold. Then he was unceremoniously tied to a chair with garish green ropes and left alone with the warehouse rats. 

It was the most embarrassing kidnapping he had ever suffered and he couldn't even take the multiple opportunities to escape because he was stuck as a civilian. If they hadn’t left him alone he might have still held a minor bit of respect for them. But as it was he had been alone for five minutes and could have easily made his way back across the city in that time if he was trying. 

When Edward Nigma finally sauntered into the room in his green and purple glory Damian restrained a sigh of relief. Damian had already spotted signs that his family had arrived, now they could figure out what the Riddler’s game was this time.

“Damian Wayne.” Riddler drawled. “How are you finding the accommodations?” 

Damian gave him a blank stare. “I’d give you a two out of five stars max.” Damn Todd was rubbing off on him. “Why am I here Riddler? You know Father won't pay you, and Batman will have you back in Arkham before nightfall.” 

“At night they fly, you'd better run. These winged things are not much fun. What are they?” Riddler asked.

“The bats?” Damian asked. What did Riddler want with them? 

“Bingo, but that was an easy one. I need to tell Batman something, and there you were wandering the streets like the perfect bait.” Riddler exclaimed.

Damian groaned. So he guessed he had to wait for one of the Bats to get their masks in gear. No way was Nigma going to tell a civilian what he wanted to talk to Batman about.

There was a massive noise of crashing warehouse boxes that caused both Damian and Nigma to look towards the side of the warehouse. Standing to the side of the pile of downed boxes was an awkward looking girl wearing red with black spots. 

Damian blinked, what on earth was Ladybug doing in Gotham? Besides apparently knocking over empty boxes in an occupied warehouse. He was very confused, and what was more confusing was the heroine's increasingly odd behavior.

“Oh désolé messieurs, but I did not mean to interrupt.” She began in a thick french accent. Much deeper than her accent had been several days before during Damians encounter with her as Robin. “It is just your outfit, it is horrifying.”

“You are not a Bat or a Bird, who are you?” Riddler was frozen in confusion, the same as Damian. 

The spotted hero giggled in exaggeration, but Damian could see her watching something behind him. So perhaps the heroine wasn’t as oblivious as she was acting. “No no Monsieur, I am a bug, though some may call me a bird.” She gestures wildly, extravagantly. “I must say your tailor must have no sense of taste or style.” Ladybug approached slowly as she spoke. “If I could just.” She pulls out a tape measure, red with black numbering. “ Here and here, absolutely no effort to compliment your frame.” The french hero tiscks. “In Paris our villains might have abhorrent costumes, but at the least they fit properly.”

“What is going on?” Riddler asks bewildered as the tiny hero moves around him. The villain is now turned away from Damian completely and moments after his gaze lands completely on the Parisian hero he feels a tug at his wrists. With a quick glance Damian confirms that Batman is working a batarang through the ropes holding him to the chair. While Damian could escape the bonds himself it is best to be as inconspicuous as possible in his civilian form. As soon as his hands are free his father hands him an invisible com small enough to hide completely in his ear. 

When he puts it in Damian immediately hears Red Hood holding back hysterical laughter. “I don’t know why this girl is here but this is the best shit I’ve seen in a month.” 

Damian hums in acknowledgment. 

Hood continues. “Nice to have you back Demon Spawn. While little red is distracting the Riddler what's the situation?” 

Damian checks to make sure both Ladybug and the Riddler are occupied with her absurd demonstration before speaking softly. “Nigma is seeking an audience with Batman. Apparently a Wayne child made good bait. His purpose is unknown.” 

When he finishes Batman makes a circular motion with his fingers to Ladybug. Since apparently the sign for ‘wrap it up’ is universal the small heroine decides to take the instruction literally and proceeds to wrap the rouge up in her tape measure. Damian questions the validity of a plastic string effectively binding a fully grown man in place before recalling that the girl was magic. He truly despised when magic ignored logic, it was frustrating.

Once Ladybug has the Riddler secured she politely steps back to allow Batman to approach the villain. She is quiet while the Gotham vigilante confronts him.

“Nigma.” The Batman begins gravely. “Why did you kidnap Mister Wayne?” 

For his part the Riddler seems relieved by the return of normalcy that came along with Batman's appearance. “Ahh Batman I have something for you. I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?” 

Damian rolls his eyes but catches Ladybug mouthing the answer just as Batman says. “A map.”

Riddler grins brightly. “Very good Batman. And I have one for you. But first. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?” 

Damian saw Ladybug once again answer the riddle as Batman growled “Echo”

Riddler nodded. “I heard you were looking into certain suspicious activity.” As Riddler spoke he pulled out a folded up bundle of papers. 

“Why?” Batman replied, and Damian could just imagine his father's eyes narrowing suspiciously under the cowl.

“It can be said: To be gold is to be good; To be stone is to be nothing; To be glass is to be fragile; To be cold is to be cruel; Unmetaphored, what am I?” Riddler said with narrowed eyes. “I am not heartless Batman. Some things cross a line.”

Batman nodded in understanding. “Okay Nigma, I believe you, but next time you need my attention try not to resort to kidnaping.” 

The villain shrugged in his bonds. “It was faster, and effective.” 

Damian could hear the laughter of Red Hood in his ear as the exchange continued and scowled.

“I am essential to life, yet I can take your breath away. I am both in you and around you. What am I?” Riddler continued. “That is how the traffickers are planning on getting the women out of Gotham.” The man was grimacing, the idea of human trafficking distasteful even to his skewed moral code.

Batman nodded. “I’ll put extra surveillance on the Docks with instructions to keep their eyes peeled.” He said as he accepted the documents. “And these?”

“Some will use me, while others will not, some have remembered, while others have forgot. For profit or gain, I'm used expertly, I can't be picked off the ground or tossed into the sea. Only gained from patience and time, can you unravel my rhyme? What am I?” Riddler answered. 

This one stalled the Bats for a minute, it was a new one. Surprisingly after a few moments Ladybug was the one to speak up. “Knowledge.” She stated confidently. Her accent reduced from the exaggerated one she had used during her distraction.

All three men in the room turned their heads to the girl in surprise. Damian could hear Hood whistle over the coms. Considering the girl had not spoken much since ending her little show they were all a little shocked. Riddler looked even a little impressed as he reevaluated the girl. Ladybug flushed and shuffled a little under their stares but stood tall, confident in her response. 

Riddler nodded. “What word in the English language does the following: the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify a great, while the entire world signifies a great woman. What is the word?” He asked her, obviously testing whether a language based question would trip her up.

Ladybug thought for a second before replying with a bright smile. “Heroine.” She looked like she wanted to laugh a little at his choice but restrained herself.

Riddler turned back to Batman. “You get a new one or something?”

Batman sighed in resignation, but it was Ladybug who answered. “ _ Non _ , I was brought here by, well.” She seemed to think for a second. “I was brought by Magic. This city is not my domain, I only thought to use my powers to assist. Speaking of,” She unwrapped her tape measure after a nod from Batman and threw it up in the air. “Miraculous Ladybug.” She said, followed by the brief straightening of the pile of boxes she had tipped over. “Sorry about the mess.”

Even after seeing many videos of the heroines powers Damian and his family were stunned. In moments she had completely reversed any damages that she had caused. 

Immediately Batman turned to the tiny heroine. “I’m sorry.” He started, which was telling for the stoic vigilante.

Ladybug herself seemed surprised. “What for Monsieur?”

“I was unaware of the situation in your city until very recently when I learned about it through proxy. The Commissioner's daughter was the one to inform her father who alerted me.” Batman said, using the cover that Barbra had created earlier in the week. She had told her father and he had let the Bat know even if that wasn’t how he actually learned about it.

Ladybug sighed. “It is not your fault Monsieur Batman. I was recently alerted by one of my former allies that the situation had been purposely isolated from the international public.”

The frown on Batman's face must have been enough to let Ladybug know his confusion so she continued. “Chloe Bourgeois, the daughter of the mayor, was formerly one of my temporary heroes. She is the one who alerted me to the situation.” She shrugged. “I guess my magic wanted me to speak to you as well as the Mayor about the situation.” As if magic powers regularly acted upon their own will. Damian supposed he had heard weirder things. “I will leave you information to contact miss Bourgeois until I can work out a safer method for my team and I to communicate with you.” 

“Does Miss Bourgeois have a reliable way to reach you?” Batman asked not unkindly.

At this Ladybug actually giggled a little. “She has a beacon not unlike your bat signal, except hers is a bee. It is ostentatious, but effective. As is Chloe.” 

The older vigilante took this in stride and relayed the information back to the heroine. “Thank you for the assistance Ladybug and have a safe trip back. Also Red Hood for some reason would like me to assure you that he only used non lethal rounds. I hope I don’t need to be concerned.” 

“ _ Non _ , My magic has just been rather insistent upon me getting in contact with you and resulted in a misunderstanding. Now if you don’t mind it is rather late in Paris and I should be getting back.” Ladybug said before zipping out of the warehouse.

Over the coms Damian could hear Hood saying that he was tailing her before he updated that he lost her. He stated that there was a similar flash of light to when they were chasing her before and after she vanished but that there was no sign of the heroine on the rooftops anymore. 

With a sigh Batman went to escort Nigma to the now waiting police van. Damian was swept up by the uniformed cops and taken to an exaggerating Richard who cooed over Damian in the most irritating way possible before telling the other cops that he would take Damian to the station. As annoying as it was though Damian had to admit that Graysons antics were effective in distracting the other cops from looking too closely at Damian.

When they arrived at the station Damian was surprised to find Jon and Marinette bickering loudly under the amused eye of a watchful Katrina. From the gist of the yelling a frustrated Marinette had escaped Jon’s watch while he was otherwise occupied in order to make her own way to the police station. While that seemed all well and good apparently the girl, unfamiliar with Gotham, had gotten lost on the way and had actually arrived after Jon and Katrina.

Damian didn’t know whether to be amused or concerned, considering Marinette was safe and had somehow escaped the super senses of a half kryptonian he was leaning towards amused. At this rate Jon was certainly due for additional situational awareness training.

The bickering stopped as soon as the two teens caught sight of Damian and Richard walking into the station. Surprisingly Marinette was the first to reach him, not the boy with super speed. In moments Damian was wrapped in a tight hug and Marinette's face was pressed into the curve of his neck as she let out shaky but relieved breaths.

Damian held her weight easily with her feet off the ground slightly as he soothed her. “Shh, _Habibti_ , it’s okay I’m alright.” 

When Marinette was calm enough he heard what must have been the source of her worries. “ _ It’s not Paris, if you're hurt it wouldn’t get fixed. The damage here is permanent and I hadn’t even thought of that until you were gone. _ ” She said in French. 

Damian thought about that, and about whether to tell Marinette about her heroine showing up. “ _ Angel, did you talk to Chloe about me not knowing about Hawkmoth? _ ” At her confused nod he decided to continue. “ _ Apparently it got to Ladybug, she came here to talk to Batman. Habibti, I think they might start working together _ .” 

Marinette smiled. “ _ That is some of the best news I’ve heard about Paris in over a year. _ ”

“I have to say though, her costume is a little ostentatious. It kinda reminds me of how Superman used to dress but not as bad.” Damian joked. He couldn’t resist the little jab at Clark in front of Jon, and it relit the fire in Marinette's eyes.

“ _ I know, It's just so boring and plain. I’ve been trying to get Chloe to talk to her about an update. _ ” She was still ranting in french. “ _ That commission I would totally do for free. It is criminal that LB hasn’t had any updates in four years, but apparently fashion isn't the highest priority with saving the city. _ ” Marinette sighed a little before picking back up. “ _ And don't even get me started on Superman’s first costume. It looks like the man picked up the color wheel and said, ‘oh primary colors why not’, I mean really if you have to use those colors at least tone them down a bit. And the underwear on the outside, why was that ever a good idea. _ ”

Damian kinda wished she had flipped back to english, but apparently Jon had caught enough of Marinettes words to be bright red in embarrassment. Oh the joy Damian got from the pain of his best friend. At least most of his family’s fashion mistakes had been exposed at night, not many widespread pictures to embarrass him that way. 

When Marinette had calmed down again and Damian was able to set her down on her own feet he still kept his arm around her shoulder. Even when he sat at one of the detectives desks to give his statement she held tight to his hand. Jon gave his own statement to Richard along with Katrina, and Marinette simply turned to rest her back against his while she gave hers to a different police officer.

As soon as they were done giving their statements the group was released so that Richard could drive them home. He even made a brief stop by Katrina's shop so the woman wouldn’t have to walk home herself. It was a completely silent car ride with Marinette pressed against his side becoming slightly drowsy as they made their way back to the manor. Considering the eventful day Damian couldn’t blame her for her exhaustion, though her grip on his hand never wavered.

***POV Shift***

Marinette could feel the exhaustion in her body as the car lulled her into a light sleep. She would have to rouse herself for dinner when they returned but for now she let herself drift. Marinette was grateful that she had the fox miraculous stored in her yoyo earlier or she would have had a much more difficult time escaping from the watchful eye of Red Hood. If she hadn’t remembered the presence of the necklace she most likely would have timed out before she was able to make her way back to Kaalki or get away from the vigilante. Now though Marinette was suffering the slight exhaustion from using three miraculous at the same time and casting not only Lucky Charm and Miraculous Ladybug, but an extended Mirage as well. Marinette would be back to normal after some food and a good night's rest but holding the illusion of invisibility on herself for so long was certainly a test of her strength. 

Marinette recalled what Katrina had told her when she finally reached the station, before Jon started freaking out at her for disappearing.

_ “I trust that your Prince of Chaos is safe?” _ The woman had asked quietly in Cantonese. 

Marinette hadn’t been able to do more than nod and quickly retrieve Kaalki to hide in her purse with Tikki and Trixx before she was confronted by a panicked and angry Jon. But Marinette couldn’t help but think there was more to her words, and she cursed herself for only reading the information about fighting and potions in the guardian journals. While she fully intended to eventually read through all of the journals her time so far had been divided between gathering what she thought they could use to track Hawkmoth and training Adrien in the Guardian language. 

Marinette would have to wait and ask Adrien what he had read once he arrived. Considering their plane was supposed to land this evening Marinette would have to wait until tomorrow to pick her partner's brain. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sudden stopping of the car, but before she could fully wake up Damian was lifting her out of the car and into his arms. Marinette hadn’t realised how much of a toll holding Trixx’s transformation had taken on her energy levels. Thankfully her exhaustion had held off until they left the station, but Marinette figured Tikki’s luck was to thank for that. 

Still, Marinette curled sleepily into Damians hold as he took her up the steps to the manor. He took her to a small study area that was quiet after talking to someone in the entryway. When one of the boys, Jason, she thought, appeared in the study with two bowls of soup and a plate of toast, Marinette remembered how hungry she was.

They both ate their soup quietly, but Damian prompted her every so often to keep her awake. When they both finished Marinette curled up into Damians side and tried to calm her mind. She whispered how she was glad he was safe and how she had been scared for him into his shoulder. She apologized for getting lost and how she hoped she hadn't worried Jon too much. Damian just rubbed her shoulder soothingly until she fell asleep against him. It was so easy to let him comfort her to sleep in her exhaustion and she had no problem letting him.

***POV shift***

As soon as she unlocks her apartment she runs through her usual checks. After making sure that all of the windows, and the door are locked, Katrina scans her eyes over the apartment. Making sure to analyze her bookshelf and it's contents, hidden though they may be. 

Katrina hadn’t expected to run into the new Great Guardian in her little Gotham shop, at least not this soon. The girl was wise beyond her young years, but she was still untrained and had much to learn about her duties. It had been a long time since a true holder, especially a pillar, had held the mantle of Great Guardian. Katrina was pleased that the girl had adapted so quickly, and that she had shared her duties with her second, yet another pillar. 

Aware as she was to the way the magic of the miraculous could pull people to where they needed to be she hadn’t anticipated it to move as swiftly as it was right now. She had been thankful that the former Guardian’s actions hadn’t caused irreparable damage to the balance, or the foundation. 

With all four pillars soon to be in one place there must be a large push from the miraculous to straighten out the balance as quickly as possible. But Katrina had confidence in the young Guardian Ladybug. So strong at such a young age, but still kind and bright. It would certainly be interesting to see all four pillars come together. After several centuries it was about time for the dynasties to make a reappearance, and this foundation had the potential to be quite strong indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Answers to the two riddles that were not specified, Heart and later Water. I had a fun time looking up riddles to use. Hope everyone likes helpful Nigma. It was kinda hard to make him speak in riddles but as a writing exercise it was cool. And we have more plot!!! Yay!!! It will eventually make sense guys.
> 
> Also the next few updates might be a bit more spaced out. I am participating in Bio!Dad Bruce Wayne Month for September 2020 and will have less time to write for this story while that is going on. See you guys on the flip side. :)


	17. Musical Therapy (AKA Jam Session)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Miraculous finally arrives in all of their chaotic glory. Bonding happens between our two teams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know it's been quite a long time since I updated. Life's been crazy. I'm going to try to get another chapter out soon. Hope you guys like this chapter and make sure to click on the links in this chapter to listen to the songs. Also, yes this chapter is a song fic chapter. Have fun.

Marinette sleeps in quite late the next day and isn’t woken up until she hears a sharp knocking at her door. Getting up, she realizes that she is still wearing what she wore yesterday excluding her shoes and jacket. Thankfully her outfit from the day before was rather comfortable being leggings and a long shirt so she is not uncomfortable. Remembering that she fell asleep on Damian, she blushes at the prospect that he had once again carried her to her room.

Opening the door, Marinette finds an unamused Alfred holding a tray with coffee and fruit, as well as a small croissant, a few cookies, a smaller bowl of sugarcubes and one of blueberries. She gapes.

“I thought the young miss could use some additional refreshments after she overextended herself yesterday.” He announced with the raise of a brow. 

Silently Marinette opens the door wider to let the man inside with the ladden tray. Her eyes are wide as he removes the cookies, sugarcubes and blueberries from the main tray onto a side table. “How.” She asks, stunned. There was no reply as the man closed the door before turning back to her.

Another raised brow. “You will find, Miss Marinette, that there is not much about the preferences of those in this manor that I am unaware of.” He straightens and tugs on his blaiser. “I do hope you will be more careful with your countenance moving forward. Also Master Bruce found out that your friends were arriving today and invited them over after lunch. Their families were also invited for dinner this evening and the responses were positive all around.” 

Marinette felt herself pale and could practically sense the imminent headache that would result from this evening. The kwamis took this chance to come out into the now closed room to descend upon their offered treats. Marinette didn’t know how, but Alfred had gotten each their favorite food. She wasn’t even sure how he knew which miraculous she had active this morning.

As the kwamis ate, Marinette set about picking out a few outfits, and making sure she had a good one for the evening. She wasn’t surprised that the responses had been positive to an invite to Wayne manor for dinner, but she could do without the stress. Having Tomoe Tursurgi, Gabriel Agreste, Audrey Bourgeois and Anarka Coffaine in the same place wasn’t usually the best mixture. She was sure Bruce and Selina could handle them, and her parents were used to all four, but together they always managed to get on each other's nerves. Thankfully Andre Bourgeois was remaining in Paris for ‘political reasons’, but Marinette could still see this requiring plenty of damage control. 

Hopefully Anarka would be distracted by Julika, Jagged, Penny, or some combination of the three. Last time the self proclaimed pirate had talked to Gabriel and Tomoe she had gone on a rant about freedom that had not benefited Marinette's long term planning at all.

Marinette took a breath. “Okay, no problem. I have contingencies for something like this.”

Alfred pitched in. “Might I remind you Miss Marinette, that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.” 

“As helpful as that is, unfortunately there is more than one enemy in this scenario, and several unpredictable factors.” She groaned. “And that's not even taking into account the Waynes themselves. Alfred this dinner will be a chemical compound of unimaginable destruction that you cant even imagine.” 

“I will alert the cleaning crew.” He deadpanned. 

Marinette laughed dryly. “If only. At this point I’m planning on asking everyone to help run interference and hope for the best.” She pulled out a lovely mint and pink plaid skirt and a matching headband. Then she grabbed a green blouse with a keyhole neckline. To finish the outfit she had pink tights and light green shoes. The entire ensemble was set off to the side for that evening. Hopefully that would be flexible enough for most of the attendees. For the time being she stepped into the bathroom and simply threw on a pair of jeans and a Jagged Stone T-shirt she designed last year. Putting her hair in a braid and calling it good, she stepped out to see Alfred talking to the kwami. “All set for now. Trix, if you're done I’m going to put you away for now.” 

Trix nodded in understanding. “Of course Guardian, I am sorry for the undue strain I caused.” 

Marinette smiled. “It wasn’t your fault Trix, pretty sure I was the one who pushed the time limit on a miraculous I don’t resonate with. I’m just appreciative of your help.” After the exchange Marinette put the necklace in its box and handed it to Tikki. In a glow of light the little kwami put the box into the pocket dimension Marinette had access to as Ladybug. Marinette then turned to the waiting butler. “Thank you for the food Alfred. Could you let the boys know that I’m going to work on the suits this morning? If I start now I think I’ll be ready to do Damian’s fitting before lunch.”

He nodded. “I’ll let them know. Do take it easy this morning.” He cautioned before leaving. 

Marinette smiled at the older man's care before quickly turning to her food. As soon as she was finished Marinette was at her sewing machine working on Damian’s suit. The day before she had finished the main body of Jason’s ensemble. With just the embroidery left to do on that set Marinette wanted to finish Damian’s suit as well. Embroidery was something she could take with her, and Marinette figured that getting the main sewing done with her friends and teammates in town would be more difficult.

She lost track of how long she had been working by the time Damian knocked on the door. But the suit was finished and ready for the fitting. She opened the door in high spirits and dragged the boy inside. She hustled him into the bathroom with the pile of clothing and various instructions. Chaotic? Yes, but his confused face was priceless. 

When Damian stepped out of the bathroom, Marinette went into complete professional mode. She checked the fit of the jacket and pants and made the appropriate adjustments before stepping back. Even knowing that the design was unfinished, Marinette thought it looked amazing. T, the black fabric absorbed light and complimented the green shirt perfectly. Once the matching green pocket square and black tie were added it would be perfect. But even more shocking was the fact that Marinette had incorporated some lightweight bullet proof fabric into the lining and it still looked like a normal suit. She had also added some hidden pockets for trackers, lockpicks or other tools. It was a design Marinette was very proud of.

“Like something you see  _ Habibti _ ?” Damian teased as she looked him over.

Marinette just smirked as playfulness tinged her mood. “You in my clothes.” She told him. “It's a good look on you.” 

His blush made her chuckle. “Got me there, but I think I’d like to see you in my clothes at some point.” Damian shot back immediately. 

Now it was her turn to blush. “Maybe, I think I could make that work.” Marinette replied shyly before tugging on his jacket a few more times. “I got the adjustments down Dami, you can go change.” 

With a smirk and the whisper of lips against her forehead Damian heads back into the bathroom. Marinette collapses on a chair and she can hear the faint laughter of Tikki from her hiding spot back in her purse. “Shut up.” She hisses at her kwami. Sometimes Tikki really enjoyed laughing at her pain, Marinette did not appreciate it.

Damian walks back out of the bathroom, hair still spiked up perfectly, and hands her the carefully folded suit. “I love it Angel. It’s going to be my favorite suit, not just because you made it, but because it's absolutely perfect.” He whispers in her ear. His voice is unusually rough with emotion and Marinette feels her own throat close up in response.

She takes the bundle of clothes from her and sets them to the side before leaning in and pressing her forehead to his. “Thank you Damian, for listening and for understanding me.” She whispers almost inaudibly if not for the sheer silence in the room. 

“Of course Marinette. You put your heart into your designs and you have so much kindness in you.” Damian replies softly. “I am in awe of you.” He whispers.

Marinette finds herself looking into Damians eyes, seeing the emotion that hides in their green depths from so many others. They are leaning towards each other as if pulled by the gravity of the other. Marinette's hands are on Damian’s shoulders and his are on her waist gently lifting her weight.

“Hey guys Alfred said to tell you guys to hurry up. Lunch is ready.” A loud voice interrupts. 

They spring apart and Marinette can feel the flush on her face, she can see the matching red on Damian’s. When she looks towards the now open doorway she sees a shocked and maybe slightly horrified Tim standing next to a rather smug looking Cassandra. 

“Were you guys just?” Tim’s question fades out as if he’s not sure what he would rather ask.

“No.” Damian states coldly.

“Not anymore.” Marinette says with minor irritation.

“What do you want Drake?” Damian growls. 

If at all possible Cassandra looks more smug as Tim turns to her in accusation. “Why did you tell me to open the door?” He whines.

“Wasn’t locked.” She stated. “And good lesson.” She continues with a smirk before patting Tim on the head sympathetically. “Wouldn’t have heard anyway, too busy.” She finishes.

Tim groans again in misery. “I hate all of you.” 

Marinette giggles a little at their antics.

Damian seems to pick up her amusement with the situation. “At least we were both fully clothed. Remember that time you and Brown,”

“Okay that's enough.” Tim interrupts. “No need to bring up past mistakes.”

Marinette giggled a bit as Damian whispered in her ear. “Drake and Brown used to date, they were not good at using doors.” 

They all walked down to lunch cheerfully. Damian kept his arm wrapped around her waist as they walked and Marinette found the warm weight comforting, grounding. They were greeted by Jason and Alfred in the kitchen. It was a rather quick lunch and before long Marinette was standing back up.

“Alfred said my friends aren’t coming by for another hour.” She asks Damian, ”Do you want to hang out in my room while I finish the alterations to your suit?” 

When he nods and stands up they both leave the kitchen together. He sits quietly as she works and doesn’t interrupt. It is nice but eventually the hour is up and Marinette is happily folding away the almost finished suit. They make their way back to the entry hand in hand as Marinette describes what she is planning to embroider into Jason’s and Damians suits. Marinette's ladybug luck must be fairly strong because when they get to the entry they are greeted with a wall of sound.

“Marinette!” Four voices exclaim simultaneously, with varying degrees of excitement and energy, before Marinette is tackled by a spazzy blond ball of energy.

Marinette forgets to let go of Damian’s hand before she is slammed by her best friend and as a result somehow she ends up landing on top of Damian with a happy Adrien curled in her lap.

“ _ Mari, Princess, I missed you so much it was unbearable. _ ” He whines in French, even as Marinette can hear Chloe scoff off to the side.

“Speak English Adrikins.” Chloe demands as she herself piles onto the stack. 

Marinette would worry about Damian if she couldn't feel him shaking with controlled laughter as she leans back against his chest. Apparently her friends' antics are amusing. W, who knew?.

Kagami and Luka seem to be done waiting for the overdramatic blonds to be finished with their greetings as they too join the pileup on the floor.

“It’s good to see you Mari-hime.” Kagami greets quietly. Marinette smiled at the familiar nickname. Adrien’s sense of nicknames had long since become one they all adopted.

“Nice to hear your song again Melody.” Luka tacks on.

Marinette hugs her friends with tears in her eyes. It had only been a few days, and she had seen them several times throughout, but that was different. For the longest time the five of them had been the strongest support each other had. They were best friends and teammates and it was hard for all of them when they were apart. It felt really good to be with them again. As Chloe would say, the hive is always better together.

After several minutes in the cuddle puddle on the floor Marinette prompted them to move. As good as it was for their various animal instincts to have time like that Marinette was getting squished under all of them. When everyone piled off and Marinette was standing up Adrien finally noticed Damian, who had been patiently waiting at the bottom of the pileup with an unusually soft look on his face. Marinette found it adorable.

“Oh my catastrophe. I am so sorry.” Adrien said reaching a hand out to help the other boy up. 

Damian accepted the hand and let Adrien pull him to standing. “Not a problem. If I was worried about it I would have gotten out of the way faster.” He stated.

Marinette smiled at him and grabbed his hand to pull Damian into her gaggle of friends. “So Damian already met everyone over video chat, but for the rest of you,this is Adrien, Chloe, Kagami and Luka.” She said as she gestured to each of her friends. 

Damian nods to each of them before pointing out some of his family, and Jon, who had been watching the happy display from the sides of the room. “The happy one is Jon. The jerk in a leather jacket is Todd.”

“Jason.” Marinette interjects helpfully.

“The annoying one with bags under his eyes is Drake.” He continues as if not interrupted.

“Tim.” Marinette agrees.

“The girl who looks like she could see into your soul is Cass. And Alfred is the only real adult in the room.” Damian finishes. “The rest of the family is out until later, It is nice to see all of you in person.” After Damian greets each of her friends individually he and Marinette lead them into the large sun room where Marinette had taken some of her calls. 

Cass is quick to drag an amused Luka over to the corner to talk about music. Kagami aggressively starts a debate about swords and technique with Damian as Jon mediates, while Chloe drags Tim and Jason along to talk about business and charities. Marinette smiles at her friends interacting with the Wayne family, she hopes that by the end of the day most of them would be fast friends with the charismatic siblings.

Adrien cheerfully tugged her to the piano situated in the corner of the room away from most of the conversing groups. Marinette could sense Damian’s eyes on her as she sat down next to her best friend. When she looked up to meet Damians gaze she saw a cheerful spark in his green eyes even as he split his focus between his conversation with Kagami and meeting her eyes flirtatiously. 

When Adrien’s fingers started to run across the keys warming up all eyes turned to them briefly. Their friends looked on with care and understanding while the Waynes seemed to absorb his playing with awe. Marinette knew that Luka would join in eventually but for now Adrien played simple tunes to fill the room with a calming ambiance and cover their own voices.

“ _ You seem to be getting closer to Damian. _ ” He whispered in French.

“ _ Yes, he is so kind, but not without his own hard edges. _ ” She smiled. “ _ It seems to be exactly what I needed without even knowing it. _ ” 

Adrien hums in understanding as his playing continues. 

When Marinette is sure that they are being ignored she speaks softly. “ _ Up for an adventure tonight Kitty? _ ” 

“Always Bugaboo.” Adrien confirms before his fingers move into a familiar melody. 

“Oh my god Adrien why?” She whines loudly as Luka bursts into laughter across the room and pulls out his guitar. Marinette simply continues to glare at Adrien as he repeats the opening bars. “Why are you such a nerd?” She asks, voice filled with affection for her dorky kitty.

“You know you love me, I have charm.” Adrien replies as Luka picks up his part. “Are you going to join Princess, or are you too cool?” Marinette elbowed him over.

“Move over dork zilla.” Marinette says as she recalls the by now familiar lyrics for the  [ Sailor Moon theme song ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdAo11WyLkE) . Adrien and Luka played in cinck, this was a cover the two had memorised, though at a much more sedate pace than the original.

**_Fighting evil by moonlight_ **

**_Winning love by daylight_ **

Marinette sang in a soft soprano before Kagami joined in in a more bold alto. As they started the song Marinette saw Cass get up and begin to dance. Marinette could tell that it was improvised, yet it was beautiful all the same.

**_Never running from a real fight!_ **

**_She is the one named Sailor Moon!_ **

**_Chloe added rhythm by drumming with her hands on one of the tables._ **

**_She will never turn her back on a friend_ **

**_She is always there to defend_ **

**_The group of friends got more into the song as the mellow tenor of Adrien and baritone of Luka joined in, still playing their instruments._ **

**_She is the one on whom we depend_ **

**_She is the one named Sailor..._ **

**_Sailor Venus!_ **

**_Sailor Mercury!_ **

**_Sailor Mars!_ **

**_Sailor Jupiter!_ **

Each of the Miraculous team singing took their turn yelling, except Luka who laughed as Chloe shouted out her part. She refused to sing the song, but always wanted to do the shouting part in the middle.

**_With secret powers_ **

**_All so new to her_ **

Marinette sang softly on her own as she watched Cass dance happily across the room. Everyone joined for the next line.

**_She is the one named Sailor Moon_ **

**_Alone, Adrien sang the next line._ **

**_Fighting evil by moonlight_ **

Another shy voice joined in a whisper, not one of the Miraculous users to Marinette’s surprise, but Jon who looked like he hadn’t meant to join in on the singing but couldn't help himself.

**_Winning love by daylight_ **

Marinette was grinning happily when almost everyone joined in for the ending. It was dorky and uncoordinated, but Marinette could hear their joy and loved it all the same.

**_With her Sailor Scouts to help fight_ **

**_She is the one named Sailor Moon_ **

**_She is the one named Sailor Moon_ **

**_She is the one . . . Sailor Moon!_ **

Everyone was laughing as Luka and Adrien faded out. It was silly and happy and Marinette didn't want it to end. She elbowed Adrien and got up to move some furniture around. When they saw what she was doing the Waynes got up to help and they cleared a space on the floor and moved a small ottoman over next to the piano for Luka.

As they moved the furniture Adrien ‘helpfully’ played the  [ Fairy Tail main battle theme ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAZM4GyTVaA) like the complete dork he was. Marinette could see at least Jon and Jason laughing as they figured out the complicated tune. Once the area was rearranged to their liking everyone settled back down. Marinette was surprised to see Jon take the seat on the other side of the piano from Luka, though the blush on Adrien's face was something to consider for later.

Adrien started up a familiar tune and Kagami picked up the beat. Luka cheerfully started up the more wild guitar part for the song. As the three began  [ We are Unbreakable by Hedley ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9irkpC4qQLA) Marinette smiled. Over the last few years Adrien had been able to expand his appreciation for piano and music again. With the help of their team he was able to regain his love of playing, and express his emotions through the medium. And as Adriens voice joined the instruments you could really hear the emotions in the gruff tone he adapted for the song.

**_I'm beat but I can't be broken_ **

**_Knocked down_ **

**_But you gave me hope_ **

**_And I can see it now_ **

**_Just gotta dig it out_ **

**_These scars on my heart I own them_ **

**_Dark days when my will was stolen_ **

**_I can bring it back_ **

**_Yeah I know it, I know it_ **

**_And I'm starting to feel again_ **

As Adrien sang some of the Waynes were pulled into dancing by Cass. Using the newly created space to enjoy themselves. Marinette contented herself with adding light harmonies to Adrien’s melody as her best friend sang. Letting Adrien know with her own voice that she supported him and cared about him.

**_One way out I found it_ **

**_Won't back down, surrounded_ **

**_You and me right now_ **

**_Yeah we are, we are, we are unbreakable_ **

**_All this doubt in my head_ **

**_Drown it out don't let it happen to you and me right now_ **

**_Yeah we are, we are, we are unbreakable_ **

**_Shipwrecked by a sea so stormy_ **

**_I'm lost but I'm never lonely_ **

**_I can see it now_ **

**_That you are my way out_ **

**_I was drifting on the ocean tide_ **

**_Out of hope when I saw your light_ **

**_You can bring me back_ **

**_Yeah I know it, I know it_ **

**_And I'm starting to feel again_ **

**_One way out I found it_ **

**_Won't back down, surrounded_ **

**_You and me right now_ **

**_Yeah we are, we are, we are unbreakable_ **

**_All this doubt in my head_ **

**_Drown it out don't let it happen to you and me right now_ **

**_Yeah we are, we are, we are unbreakable_ **

**_I follow my heart through it all_ **

**_Holding on to you_ **

**_Together we'll never fall_ **

**_'Cause we are unbreakable_ **

His voice softened with the piano, and Kagami let her hands rest on the tabletop, letting the piano and soft guitar carry Adrien’s voice through the final verse.

**_One way out I found it_ **

**_Won't back down, surrounded_ **

**_You and me right now_ **

**_Yeah we are, we are, we are unbreakable_ **

**_All this doubt in my head_ **

**_Drown it out don't let it happen to you and me right now_ **

**_Yeah we are, we are, we are unbreakable_ **

As Adrien finished the song, Marinette could see the tears in his eyes. She felt the urge to stand up and comfort her friend, but before she could, Jon stood up from his seat to move onto the piano bench with him. Marinette glanced over to catch the eye of Damian and exchanged a conspiratorial look with him. It seemed that they might be able to get their best friends together. Marinette made a mental note to restrain herself from more aggressive matchmaking ideas, remembering Alya’s plans to get her and Adrien together so they could go on double dates. That would have been a nightmare.

Luka, the sneaky snake he is, playfully strums the opening chords to another song, one Marinette knows Adrien will only have to play chords for. Chloe laughs in excitement as he begins though and Marinette can see Kagami smile slightly as well. 

This time it's Chloe and Marinette who take up the lyrics. Chloe leads with all her infinite sass while Marinette plays backup to the forever Queen Bee. With Chloe’s sassy tone reflected by Marinette's own soprano, they hear Adrien’s melancholy key plunking lighten up to match their enthusiasm.

**_I'm not talking smack you know there's no pity, pity_ **

**_Tryna put in words you'll understand_ **

**_You don't call her back you think it's no biggy, biggy_ **

**_Seconds on the clock you need a touch down_ **

**_You thought you had a shot you were good to go_ **

**_But there's never three strikes in love you know_ **

**_When she gets mad it ain't gonna be pretty pretty_ **

**_Won't see it coming it's like a curveball_ **

**_You think that you're doing just fine_ **

**_But ooh, she got you on the sideline_ **

**_You think you're flying towards the end zone_ **

**_You're just headed towards the friend zone_ **

Marinette laughed in between lyrics when Chloe stood up and dragged her along to start dancing with Cass. The Wayne brothers were pushed out of the girls way as Chloe staked her claim on the makeshift dance floor. They danced along to  [ Friendzone ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuCF-Rpol-A&list=PL_czVkMyIi-PBWleLlHZgXJGpvHM0EWOU&index=9&t=0s) with absolutely no consideration for style, just having fun with the song.

**_Let me break it down to the facts_ **

**_You will never get a girl like that_ **

**_You gotta step up to the plate with a bat_ **

**_That's all I gotta say about that_ **

**_Yeah, you gotta take a ride and spend a little money, money_ **

**_Show her she's worth more than 3.99_ **

**_No room for doubt and I'm not being funny, honey_ **

**_Tell her how you feel she can't read your mind_ **

**_You thought you had it on lock you were good to go_ **

**_But there's never three strikes in love you know_ **

**_I might help a brother out and it ain't gonna be sunny, sunny_ **

**_You commit the crime you're gonna do time_ **

**_You think that you're doing just fine_ **

**_But ooh, she got you on the sideline_ **

**_You think you're flying towards the end zone_ **

**_You're just headed towards the friend zone_ **

**_Let me break it down to the facts_ **

**_You will never get a girl like that_ **

**_You gotta step up to the plate with a bat_ **

**_That's all I gotta say about that_ **

**_All I need is a bass and the beat and my banjo_ **

**_Bass and the beat and my banjo_ **

**_Bass and the beat and my banjo_ **

**_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_ **

**_Let me break it down to the facts_ **

**_You will never get a girl like that_ **

**_You gotta step up to the plate with a bat_ **

**_That's all I gotta say about that_ **

**_Let me break it down to the facts_ **

**_You will never get a girl like that_ **

**_You gotta step up to the plate with a bat_ **

**_That's all I gotta say about that_ **

**_You think that you're doing just fine_ **

**_But ooh, she got you on the sideline_ **

**_You think you're flying towards the end zone_ **

**_You're just headed towards the friend zone_ **

**_You think that you're doing just fine_ **

**_But oh, she got you on the sideline_ **

**_You think you're flying towards the end zone_ **

**_You're just headed towards the friend zone_ **

**_Friend zone_ **

**_You're just headed towards the friend zone_ **

As the two sang Chloe dragged Damian out of the massive crowd of his siblings and shoved him unceremoniously towards Marinette. Honestly, she should have expected this sort of behavior from her friend. 

Marinette caught Damian out of his instigated stumble before she looked at his face and smiled. The attitude in the room was contagious but apparently their friends had another plan for the next song. 

Jon and Adrien had been whispering to each other as the last song ended and had apparently come to a decision. 

“Hey Damian.” Jon called out. “How do you feel about singing?” He asked, receiving a glare from the boy.

“Mari knows the song too.” Adrien added on helpfully. 

Marinette sighed as the first notes started and she understood the two boys’ intentions. It was a song Adrien knew she loved, and it was the duet cover that she preferred. Marinette wasn’t sure if she loved or hated her best friend more in that moment as she started singing softly.  [ (What are Words - Piano Guys cover with Peter & Evynne Hollens ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_J9UqYHcS4&list=PL_czVkMyIi-NQko0tdDP8y1qI_pRrOYft&index=35) )

**_Anywhere you are, I am near_ **

**_Anywhere you go, I'll be there_ **

**_Anytime you whisper my name, you'll see_ **

**_Where every single promise I'll keep_ **

**_Cause what kind of woman would I be_ **

**_If I was to leave when you need me most_ **

Marinette was surprised when Damian joined her for the next part just like the cover. Apparently their best friends had compared quite the notes about their music tastes. Damian was glaring, and Marinette could see that Tim had gotten out his phone to record them, but his voice had a low tone that didn't falter as he sang. Marinette blushed at the concept that Tim was videotaping them, but she kept her voice steady and grabbed Damian’s hand as they sang together.

_**What are words** _

_**If you really don't mean them** _

_**When you say them** _

_**What are words** _

_**If they're only for good times** _

_**Then they're done** _

_**When it's love** _

_**Yeah, you say them out loud** _

_**Those words, They never go away** _

_**They live on, even when we're gone** _

The two stared into each other's eyes as they sang, and Marinette let her view narrow down to just Damian. Her voice faded out as Damian picked up the next verse on his own.

**_And I know an angel was sent just for me_ **

**_And I know I'm meant to be where I am_ **

**_And I'm gonna be_ **

**_Standing right beside her tonight_ **

**_And I'm gonna be by your side_ **

**_I would never leave when she needs me most_ **

Damian sang directly to her and Marinette completely forgot about her friends and his family in the room. It was so easy for her to pick up the chorus with him as he held onto her hand and she fell into the emotions of the song.

**_What are words_ **

**_If you really don't mean them_ **

**_When you say them_ **

**_What are words_ **

**_If they're only for good times_ **

**_Then they're done_ **

**_When it's love_ **

**_Yeah, you say them out loud_ **

**_Those words, They never go away_ **

**_They live on, even when we're gone_ **

As Adrien led the song into the piano solo, Marinette smiled at Damian about the way their voices carried into a balanced harmony. It was a testament to Damian’s own knowledge of the song that he was able to pick up the next set of vocals even as Marinette was lost in his eyes.

**_Anywhere you are, I am near_ **

**_Anywhere you go, I'll be there_ **

**_And I'm gonna be here forever more_ **

**_Every single promise I'll keep_ **

**_Cause what kind of man would I be_ **

**_If I was to leave when you need me most_ **

When Marinette joined him softly for the final line she dreaded the spell of the song breaking, but it was filled with softness and joy as they ended the song together.

**_I'm forever keeping my angel close_ **

The room fell into complete silence after the final note rang out. Marinette looked into the green eyes facing her own and saw the same awe and understanding reflected back to her. The depth of emotions surprised her, but the spell was broken by a soft curse.

“Damn Demon Spawn.” Jason whistled. “Timmy, please tell me you got that on video.”

Tim seemed equally shocked as he put his phone down. “Ah, yeah I started it when Jon told me to.” 

Damian and Marinette both turned to see a sheepish Jon and an overly smug Adrien looking at them. Jon was rubbing the back of his neck but Adrien met both their gazes fearlessly. Marinette figured living with the one and only Gabriel Agreste desensitized someone to depthless glares.

“I’m not sorry.” The stupid cat announced confidently. “You’ll thank me at your wedding.” Adrien explained, earning loud chuckles from several of the individuals in their small audience. “I take payment in pastries and the ability to make embarrassing speeches.” He continued before giving Marinette a cheeky grin. 

“I wouldn’t start planning the wedding just yet, but I’m definitely sending the video to the family group chat.” Tim cheerfully announced before thoughtfully adding. “And to Marinette's parents, and Jagged and Penny.” 

Marinette groaned and hid her face in Damian’s shoulder, content to let her probably/almost boyfriend glare at their collective friends and family on her behalf. Moments later the buzzing of her phone informs her that Tim indeed sent the video. 

“Okay let’s give the lovebirds a break.” Chloe announced, and Marinette made a note to make her something extra special soon as thanks for her mercy. “Adrikins, play  [ Zero to Hero ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDDaqNgdIXM) , I wanna get pumped up if we have to deal with the Titans later.” The five Parisians laughed at the inside joke as the Wayne’s looked on in confusion. 

When the song started though everyone joined into the familiar Disney song. Playing around with familiar tunes had become a hobby of Luka and Adrien. They liked to see how well each other and the girls could keep up with the changes they made. 

Kagami requested  [ Speechless from Aladdin ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX5fruJlPUg) for the next song, and her intense alto tone fit the song incredibly well. Marinette watched her friend let out her pent up energy as Cass danced along to the melody. The song itself fit Kagami especially well considering her mother's strictness, when Adrien joined in quietly on some of the verses in a light tenor Marinette felt tears in her eyes.

Marinette was able to watch as her friends bared their souls in songs to the siblings. She knew it was the fact that they were out of Paris and able to let their emotions out freely that allowed them this chance, but she was still so proud. 

When Chloe whispered a final song request into Lukas ear and shoved Jon aside so she could sit on the piano bench next to Adrien, Marinette felt a chill down her spine. As Luka began to play the melody for  [ Desert Moon ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfwopyHc5E4) Marinette was reminded that the two blonds had both experienced tremendous loneliness before very recently. They were as close as siblings, but for so long had only had each other to rely on.

_**When the shadows unfold** _

_**When the sun hides its gold** _

_**When the wind and the cold come calling** _

_**When the path isn't clear** _

_**And the stars disappear** _

_**As an endless midnight's falling** _

It was sad and beautiful to listen to. Two children growing up in the cold, finding light in the bonds they choose. Marinette ached for her friends, but she smiled at the joy that had grown from the pain in their pasts.

_**At the edge of the sky** _

_**There's a moon hangin' high** _

_**When you're lost, it'll try to remind you** _

_**On a dark desert night** _

_**You can look to the light** _

_**'Cause it's shining there to find you** _

_**Desert moon light the way** _

_**'Til the dark turns to day** _

_**Like a lamp in the lonely night** _

_**Bright and blue** _

_**Desert moon, wild and free** _

_**Will it burn just for me?** _

_**Shine down, shine down** _

_**'Til I find my way to you** _

_**At the edge of the sky** _

_**There's a moon hangin' high** _

_**When you're lost, you can try the view** _

_**'Cause it waits for you there** _

_**And if you see it too** _

_**I can find my way** _

_**I can find my way** _

_**I can find my way to you** _

When Adrien and Chloe finished the duet Adrien wrapped Chloe in a hug. In mere moments the two were joined by the rest of their team and Marinette wrapped both close.

“You won’t be alone again.” Marinette promised with conviction. “We’re here for you.” They were a team now, and they stood up for each other, they were stronger together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So my friends and I like to get together sometimes for what we like to call jam sessions. I can’t play an instrument but I sing alto and harmonies. It's a really good way for us to let out our emotions. One of my friends has a literal stack of piano sheet music that we’ve requested. It is my opinion that if you are going to do something, do it so you enjoy it. That goes for work, activities, hobbies, whatever. Also I was in a music mood when I wrote this and wanted the two groups to connect in a fun way. I imagine the Miraculous team is much more open emotionally than the Bats are, especially considering that to them this is a rare opportunity to release all of their pent up emotions.


	18. A Dining Room Battlefield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with All of the Parisians.   
> The tactical brilliance of Marinette in action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its been a while but I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

When Marinette had gathered all of the present Wayne’s together to describe what was essentially battle plans for  _ dinner _ Damian had hoped that she was over exaggerating. Sure her friends had taken the mini war room assembly in stride, but that was just because it was their parents. Ten minutes into the arrival of the first two adult guests though and Damian was questioning whether his sanity would survive the evening.

So far only Tursurgi Tomoe and Audrey Bourgeois had arrived at the manor. Marinette had seemed relieved by that but so far all the two women had done was bicker, subtly try to pit their daughters against each other unsuccessfully and mock the decor. Mrs Bourgeois was of the opinion that everything was too ‘last century’ and the Tursurgi matriarch claimed the floor plan was too cluttered. Mind the insults were subtle and noticeable to the untrained observer, but the Waynes were trained socialites and all present besides Jon were able to translate the thinly veiled commentary. 

According to Marinette this combination was one of the better outcomes considering that her parents were absent, assisting Alfred in the kitchen so he could assist with the guests, and Jagged and Penny were still finishing their interview with the Kents. The Kents had arrived the night before and were planning on staying in town until the wedding since they were the only media coverage that had been approved by the couple besides an official photographer. Apparently if Anarka Coffaine had been the first to arrive the most likely outcome was objective destruction. Thankfully the woman was also bringing a daughter the same age as most of the other Parisian teens, Damian wanted to learn the reason behind her absence, and she was usually able to be distracted by arguing with Jagged and gossiping about the man with Penny.

When his father and Selina finally made their entrance to the large entertaining room where everyone was waiting until dinner Damian practically breathed a sigh of relief himself. His relief at the arrival of ‘Brucie’ Wayne was only increased by the following arrival of a sour faced man who could only be Gabriel Agreste. 

From across the room Damian could see Marinette talking to Adrien in a way that may have appeared casual, but to his trained eyes was actually her hyping him up and dusting off his outfit. All of the Parisian teens, including Marinette herself, had changed their outfits after the end of their casual musical event. From casual to business formal all of them were dressed to impress, and Damian could see why. Marinette's outfit was cute and playful but still professional and he was again awed by her abilities.

As Marinette and Adrien formally greeted the boys father Damian walked over to them. As someone who had experience with overly controlling parents he wanted to get a decent idea of the man’s threat level.

“Hello Marinette, Adrien.” He greeted. “And you must be Monsieur Agreste, pleasure to meet you.” Damian said formally as he turned to the cold man with a poker face that could cut through steel.

“You must be Mister Wayne’s youngest.” The business man replied cooly. “And where is the man of the hour?” He asked.

Damian fought the urge to tisk at the man. He was much too eager to talk to who he considered the most important person in the room. The two women had been the same but the Style Queen had been pacified by the presence of the young co-CEO. Damian put a practiced smile on his face. “My father and Miss Kyle have just arrived, I’m sure they would love to make the acquaintance of an esteemed business man such as yourself.” He praised the man with a smile and pulled aside his passing brother. “My elder brother Timothy can take you over to Father. As the co CEO I’m sure he has much he can learn from a seasoned business owner.” He says eying his brother to be sure his intentions were clear. He wanted an eye kept on Mr Agreste.

Drake took it in stride. “Of course, thank you Damian. Mister Agreste I do believe I saw Bruce only a minute ago.” The genius says as he leads the man towards the other end of the room.

A momentary silence follows. “How did you do that? Both of you? It took Mari months to learn how to handle my father like that.” Adrien hisses at him.

“Tch.” Damian said, rolling his eyes. “Adrien, trust me when I say that my family are experts at maneuvering the social structures of the high class. We were raised, and in the case of myself and Timothy we were bred for it. As miserable as it may seem this is only a game, one which you can learn to play.” 

Marinette giggled a little quietly. “Dami I don't think anyone has ever described that quite so succinctly.” She linked her hand softly into his elbow. “Honestly Adrien most of what I learned I picked up as I went.” 

Adrien seemed to sigh. “Just as you usually do Princess, ‘she of the never ending plans’.” 

“Hey now, you like my plans.” Marinette teased before sobering. “Crap, the pirate is on deck and Jagged still isn't here.” She curses under her breath.

Damian turns towards the door and sure enough there is a brightly dressed woman and a younger teen in purple and black standing in the doorway. “Here Angel, let me try something.” Damian says as he signals to Brown across the room. 

Marinette follows his actions and her eyes widen. “That’s brilliant Dami, Stephenie is the perfect person to distract Anarka.” She exclaimed before kissing his cheek and then running off to presumably tell Luka about his mom's arrival.

Damian was left with a chuckling Adrien and presumably a slight flush barely held back by years of training. 

“She can have that effect on people.” Adrien comments. “By the way you have a little something.” He gestures at his own cheek, green eyes glinting with amusement. “Here.” He says handing Damian what is apparently a pack of makeup wipes. At Damian’s confused look the boy just shrugs. “I get them for free modeling. Usually I give them to the girls but I’ve taken to carrying them around since occasionally they forget, or something like this happens. Plus sometimes I need them if father decides my complexion isn’t ‘up to standard’. You know?” 

Damian nods. “Thank you. That would have been embarrassing if my brothers had seen it.” 

The other boy laughs a little. “They seem nice. So do you by the way.” Adrien tells him. “You’ve been good for Mari, and she deserves good things.” 

Damian ducks his head. “Not sure if I really qualify as ‘good’.” He is able to grit out. Damian knows his past, knows the stain it has left on his soul.

Adrien seems unfazed, looking at him with a kind of knowing understanding that irks Damian somewhat. “Good is a relative concept based on an instantaneous set of arbitrary qualifications.” He rattles off. “Anything can be good depending on your point of view, and from mine you are good. Arbitrarily of course.” 

Damian isn’t sure what the other teen is thinking with that line of thought but it calms him somewhat, not completely though. “I’m not a safe person.” He states. “I end up destroying everyone around me.” He remembers hurting his family, with words, weapons, even his mere presence. They were better now, but a lot of pain was suffered first.

Adrien just laughs, as if Damians comment was funny. “Don’t worry Damian, our group is very familiar with destruction. Sometimes in order for something new to be built something old or broken must come apart, but it’s important to note that something stronger can take it's place.” The teen looks thoughtful. “It's a cycle, a balance. You can’t have one without the other, like light and dark.” 

Damian watches as Adrien is called over by one of the other guests. Damian doesn’t know who as he drifts in thought. 

“Did the trauma twins slay you?” A sarcastic voice asks. 

Turning around Damian sees Chloe. “Huh?” He asks unintelligibly.

“That would be a yes.” She sighs. “I hate when they do this.” Chloe pulls his arm until he’s in front of a chair, then she pushes him into it. “Luka is usually better at this than be but I’ll take a shot.” She points across the room to where Marinette is standing talking to the newly arrived Richard, and apparently Kori, because the evening wasn’t chaotic enough. Then she gestures to Adrien who is talking to a stoic Tomoe with Kagami. “Maribug did something cute and or adorable and then Adrikins hit you with an existential crisis and or shovel talk. How did I do?”

Damian whezzed out a laugh as he regained his senses. “Pretty accurate analysis. I’m guessing this happens often?”

Chloe watches the room closely and hums. “Sometimes the other way around, but considering your general demeanor towards Mari that version was much more likely. Honestly at this point we’ve gotten used to picking up the signs of total mental shutdown when the two of them are around.” 

“Pretty weird superpower.” Damian scoffs.

Chloe laughs in surprise. “Trust me, we know.”

The two sit in silence for a few minutes before Damian decides to ask a burning question. “You used to be a hero, right?” 

Chloe scoffed. “Yeah, but in all honesty it wasn’t one of my finer moments.” Damian could tell from the raised brow that she wanted to know how he knew.

“Kidnapping, yesterday.” He clarified. “Overheard your bug tell our bat that you would be a good go between.” Damian shrugs. “Sounds like it wasn’t your worst moment.”

Before Chloe could respond they were joined by Luka. “Warning, Jagged and Penny just got here with the reporter couple.” 

Damian sighs. “Hopefully the Kents can help provide an additional buffer. At least Conner isn't here tonight.” 

“Why him specifically?” Luka asks as the three move towards where Marinette is still talking to Richard and Kori.

“He is unabashedly Bisexual, and dresses punk, with studs and spikes.” Damian elaborates.

Chloe chuckles a little. “Now I kinda wish he was here just to see old Gabes reaction, Tomoe can't see but his reaction would be priceless.”

“What about your mother?” Damian asks, surely the Style Queen would have some comments about punk rock fashion.

“Mother might have a preferred style, but she has taken much more of Marinette's commentary about current trends to heart. All Gabes’ done is put less pastels into his lineups.” Chloe scoffs just before they reach Marinette. Again Damian is shoved without preamble at his Angel, who somehow anticipates this action and moves to catch him.

“Sorry about Chloe. I believe she somehow took Kagami’s advice about ‘not hesitating’ to mean ‘shove people together’ if she thinks their being stupid.” Marinette whispers in his ear as she straightens and brushes out some wrinkles on his button down shirt.

Luka seems to be laughing at the entire display and patting Chloe on the back. Chloe however is watching a different display. 

Over by the Kent’s Adrien is talking to Jon while the half kryptonian’s parents watch on. The surprising part that must have drawn Chloe's attention is the bright smile on Jon’s face and the slight flush on Adriens. 

The heiress looks ready to charge over to her friend. Presumably to ‘help’ in a similar way to how she just assisted Damian and Marinette. A quick movement of Marinette out of his arms and in front of Chloe stops her in her tracks. Damian watches as a shake of a head and a serious stare prevent the girl from interfering, though the blond does pout.

“Why do you have to be the responsible one Maribug?” Chloe whines halfheartedly.

Marinette is stern, but there is certainly affection in her eyes as she replies to her friend. “Because otherwise Kagami and Luka won't relax. Let them be for now Chlo, Kagami is keeping an eye on Gabriel for them. They don’t need your help, at least for the moment.” After Marinette finishes that statement Luka moves to go hang with Cass where Damian can see her hiding in the corner of the room. Apparently he trusted that Marinette would be enough to keep the strong willed heiress out of too much trouble.

The temporary calm of the room in harmony is unfortunately broken several minutes later by Alfred announcing that dinner is ready. 

Damian can hear Marinette mutter under her breath. “Okay go time, battle stations.” And he can't help but dread what follows.

The moment Alfred’s announcement is made Marinette is everywhere talking to everyone. She seamlessly maneuvers the entire group around like Damian or Drake would play chess. Each person is somehow positioned intentionally so that when everyone sits at the large banquet table they are precisely where Marinette wants them to be.

Damian is shocked and amazed by her efficiency when Gabriel seamlessly takes a seat next to Bruce while Adrien is able to sit next to Selina. When Adrien is boxed in by Richard he has his doubts, but he imagines Marinette doesn’t want to give the cruel businessman any leverage. Anyone would look composed and stoic next to Richards' excitement. Tomoe sits next to Gabriel easily and the man even helps her into her chair. Sabine takes up the position next to Tomoe and is followed by Tom. Next to Richad is of course Kori, and Marinette actually places him next to the Tamaran princess before taking the seat on Damians other side. Across from Damian and next to Tom is Kagami followed by Chloe and then Drake and Brown. Somehow Marinette maneuvers Audrey into the seat next to her by discussing fashion and Lois and Clark follow in after the woman. Damian then watches as Jon sits across from his father and is boxed in by Luka and his sister Julika followed by their mother Anarka. Cass squesses herself next to Clark and is joined by Penny, Jagged and the fashionably on time Barbara. When Jason takes the seat across from Barbara and the table is capped by Alfred, Damian praises his Angels magnificent talent.

The smug look in the girls blue eyes confirms that Marinette intentionally separated the volatile elements from each other and placed peacekeepers in key positions. Damian really wants to know how she managed it while looking so casual. He is sure that the rest of her friends, and maybe Cass, helped her do it, but it is still an amazing feat.

“ _ Habibti _ , I don't know how you managed this but it is positively amazing. I’m a little fearful of your talents now Angel because that was a seamless display of large scale manipulation.” Damian whispers in her ear.

Marinette just smirks. “I’m just happy you have so many people in your family that it actually worked.” 

Damian looks at her wide eyed. “You discussed this?” 

Marinette leans into him as if to simply rest her head on his shoulder as she murmurs. “My group knows who to keep separate if possible, and so do my parents.” She smiles as Damian smiles down at her, continuing their apparent meaningless display of affection. “Luka told Cass who I’m pretty sure told Tim.”

“Who told Richard and Todd.” Damian tacks on. Yep, it was official, this girl was brilliant. Somehow she figured out how to tap into the Bat phone tree, or gossip line, to manipulate the seating chart for a table of twenty eight people. 

Her organization, Damian proceeded to observe, not only prevented conflict, but also stimulated many conversations around the table. Every person was completely content with their seatmates and discussions even as the conversations shifted between partners or groups.

Father distracted Gabriel with business talk while Selina and Dick pursued a conversation almost entirely in puns with Adrien. Tomoe and Sabine had a conversation about traditions they both appreciated and ones that were different. Kori and Tom discussed traditional french pastry making. Damian and Kagami conversed more about swords and their preferred styles. Marinette talked fashion with Audrey for a while until the woman shifted her attention to Lois. Tim and Steph talked to Chloe about her plans for after graduation and what she would like to major in. Luka regaled the two Kryptonians and Cassandra with his musical knowledge while Cass occasionally shared a quiet conversion with Julika from across the table. Penny and Jagged talked with Anarka about rebellion in a conversation that Todd very much enjoyed. At the end of the table Barbara and Alfred had a calm conversation, most likely about tea. 

Most of the guests were peacefully unobtrusive in their seats for the majority of dinner. Gabriel did at one point ask why Alfred was also at the table, but this was a common offense that his father was able to take in stride.

With an enigmatic smile Bruce replied. “Alfred raised me after the passing of my own parents, he is as much family in my home as anyone else. He is probably the reason I’ve adopted so many children of my own.” It was an honest but routine answer but Damian could see Marinette smile approvingly as it shut Gabriel down.

Throughout the meal his Angel watched everyone's conversations and gently redirected where she felt necessary. Her smile remained wide and her eyes were satisfied at the lack of conflict until Jon loudly asked.

“Hey mom, what was that story today about a new hero?” At the boy's words several individuals around the table froze. 

Marinette was stiff next to him, most likely recalling their conversation last night. His father was tense to his eye, wondering how the conversation would progress from there. Clark looked about ready to face plant into his food. 

Jon seemed to realize that he had spoken a little too loud, but it was too late for takebacks. Lois recovered quickly taking out her phone despite the disapproving look from Alfred. 

“There is an article Jon, but it only has one picture. Too blurry to tell, plus this isn’t necessarily a site I would approve. All I can see is a red Blur jumping over rooftops. Could be anyone, a new vigilante, a civilian, or even a Bird with a brighter makeover. Who knows, Harley Quinn might be trying a new shtick.” Lois was convincing, Damian would give her that.

The Bats would have to tell Superman what really happened later, but for now Damian watched everyone's reactions. Several people at the table moved on to new conversations, but Damian, and Marinette, watched the individuals that got out their phones. Julika, Adrien, Gabriel and unsurprisingly Jagged got out their phones to look at the picture attached to the article. Julika looked a little confused, so did Jagged. Adrien was stoic but his microexpressions displayed amusement. Gabriel was similarly stoic, but all Damian could read from the older man was thoughtfulness. 

Gabriel turned to Damian. “Mister Wayne, it says here that you were kidnapped yesterday.” 

Damian stares at him and shrugs. “It's Gotham, I’m a Wayne, it happens.” 

“Is it not distressing?” Gabriel seems minorly alarmed.

“Considering Nigma only wanted to talk to Batman it was one of my less concerning kidnappings.” Damian concludes. 

Four soft voices say. “Mood.” In sinc. Everyone looked at Adrien, Chloe, Marinette and surprisingly Julika, who flushed brightly. 

“Jules?” Luka questioned. “I get Mari, Chloe and Adrien for the most part but.” 

“Rose.” She replied and all of the Parisians nodded.

“K, moving on.” Adrien announces helpfully. 

Damian doesn’t want to laugh but the overly confounded expression on Clarks face was one of the best things he’s seen in a while. Apparently Jason at least agrees based on his subdued laughter. 

With an underhanded dismissive gesture Damian watched his father tell his friend that they will talk about it later and to move the conversation on. Apparently to Clark Kent this means something specific.

“Anyone wanna hear about what Ma Kent got Brucie one year for Christmas.” The man announced. 

“Oh man Smallville, leave the guy a little dignity.” Lois laughed.

All the bat kids responded with excitement as their fathers best friend told several increasingly embarrassing stories about the out of place billionaires experiences on a Kansas farm.

At the same time Damian could see Cass watching the room with a significantly thoughtful expression. He wondered at what his observant sister was gathering from the tense moment that had passed. It was not abnormal for Cass to see things that the rest of them missed, if it was important she would inform them when necessary.

For the moment Clark Kent's flamboyant story of Bruce Wayne wearing one of Ma Kent’s hand knitted sweaters garnered plenty of reactions from around the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the seating arrangement was overly confusing to enough people I might make a more neat image than the rough planning one I had done up previously. Main point though is that Marinette is amazing and knows how to navagate a complex social situation such as a formal dinner.   
> I hope you liked it.

**Author's Note:**

> So this went very different than I anticipated but honestly I like this more. FYI I am not multi-lingual so google translate all the way unless its english or basic spanish. Have fun and let me know what you think.


End file.
